


The Lost Brother

by a_dale



Category: Teen Wolf (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Creepy Uncle Peter, Crossover, Derek is still Alpha, It's more like canon typical violence, Multi, Protective Pack, Protective Siblings, Sort of Graphic Violence, Stiles is an original vampire, and the pack is fully functional and happy, because I don't think I can write it any other way, but they can all turn into actual larger than average wolves, he's the baby of the family, pack goodness, the alpha wolf is just much much bigger, the werewolves all have beta and full wolf forms, warning is up just in case, with the originals removing hearts and stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-04
Updated: 2014-07-04
Packaged: 2018-02-07 11:18:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 33,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1897029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_dale/pseuds/a_dale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles is the youngest sibling of the Original family of vampires and he's on the run. When he finally settles, he makes a life for himself as a human in a werewolf pack, but when his identity is revealed, it sends a rippling affect through the supernatural world. In effect, his family is coming to town, and after 200 years, it could be bloody.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Youngest Original

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a prompt sent through ff.net.  
> If anybody thinks the rating should be higher because of the violence, feel free to let me know. I don't think it's too bad, but I'd rather put the warning there and have it be mild than not put it and freak someone out.

“No, Stiles. You need to stay here.” Derek growled at him for the third time since his pack had decided to go face the alpha pack, and Stiles glared angrily. Once again he was so tempted to prove that he wasn't as weak and useless as everyone thought, but he held himself back. Personal pride was _not_ a good enough reason to give up his secret. Plus, he loved Beacon Hills; why put himself in a situation where he'd be forced to leave? So, much like a human would do, he glared but relented. 

“You know, if it wasn't for me, you would've died at least half a dozen times by now.” Stiles noted, and Derek's glare just grew more dangerous. Stiles was glad sometimes that he was considered Scott's best friend, because if that weren't the case, he was sure he would've been attacked by now. The thought had Stiles frowning in return. He was Derek's mate, and he knew it, could feel it right in his bones, and he knew Derek's wolf felt it too, but Derek's human side refused to accept it. Stiles mentally rolled his eyes. If only Derek realized what he really was; luckily, his witch heritage allowed him to mask his scent as human.

“You aren't coming.” Derek snapped, voice final, and Stiles just shrugged. They all knew it wasn't likely that he'd stay once they all left, but there was nothing they could do about that short of leaving somebody behind to keep watch over him. Stiles always managed to escape no matter where he was trapped, so they'd stopped trying to trap him into staying behind. Stiles looked to Scott to see if he'd argue, but Scott avoided his gaze. It only frustrated Stiles more. Scott always fought so hard to stay separate from Derek, until it came to things like keeping Stiles out of things.

“If you'd like, my dear nephew, I could stay and keep Stiles company.” Peter said, giving Stiles a smile that told him just what kind of company he was offering, and Stiles just rolled his eyes. Even though Derek's human side wouldn't accept him as mate, his wolf revolted at the idea of anyone wanting intimacy with him. He watched the conflict flit over Derek's face and Stiles cut in.

“As thrilling as your offer sounds, I really don't think you want to be the kind of company I'm craving.” Stiles knew he was flirting back, but it was worth it just to watch Derek's jaw tick.

“No, we need you with us. Stiles will stay here and keep out of the way.” Stiles just grimaced.

“I'm not a child.” he said, and would've laughed at how true the statement was if the pack wasn't clueless to his identity. Being a thousand year old vampire sort of made everybody a child in comparison and himself far from it.

“Then stop acting like one.” Derek snapped. At that, Erica stepped in.

“Look Stiles, it's not that we think you're useless, it's just, if you're there and we have to worry about you getting hurt, we'll be distracted. If we're distracted-”

“I know. One of you could get hurt. But you know, you could always pay attention to what your doing instead of what I'm doing-” he was cut off by Derek grabbing him and slamming him into the wall, and boy was he ever glad that he wasn't as hot tempered as his siblings, because if he was, Derek probably would have died years ago.

“Can we just go?” Jackson asked, and Derek released Stiles, stepping away. Stiles looked at Jackson but he too avoided his gaze. They all knew that he'd cut in to save Stiles, but nobody would admit it because that would ruin Jackson's image. Without another word, Derek turned on his heels and left, the wolves filing out behind him.

“Maybe next time, Stiles.” Peter teased wistfully, ruffling Stiles' hair, and Stiles just shot him a look.

“Not in your lifetime.” Peter just grinned wider.

“Now that is a challenge I willingly accept.” With that he followed the others out, and left Stiles alone.

 

Though he planned on following them, Stiles went home first, intent on finding the sheriff. He knew there was a strong possibility of trouble, and he wanted to warn the man first so he could keep the human population at bay. He appeared in front of his house after disappearing from Derek's loft in seconds, and saw the police cruiser in the driveway. Letting himself in, he called out for the sheriff.

“Dad?” he called, as he'd done since they'd begun their arrangement, and he truly did love John Stilinski as a father, he certainly did a better job than his own father had done.

“In the kitchen, son.” the sheriff shouted back, and Stiles flashed to the kitchen.

“Hey, just wanted to warn you about tonight. Looks like Derek's pack is planning on confronting the alpha pack for the first time tonight.”

“Where?”

“Out by the old mill.”

“Are you planning on going as well?”

“I figure I'll just keep an eye out. Flash in if anyone looks close to death. Derek once again banned me from joining them.” the sheriff chuckled at that.

“He certainly wouldn't do that if he knew what you were capable of.” the sentence once would've been awkward, but now it was fond, and Stiles smiled. He remembered when he'd met sheriff Stilinski; he'd saved his life. Their meeting had been by chance; Stiles was passing through as he travelled around the country hiding from his family, and there was the Sheriff of the town, bleeding to death on the side of the road. He'd fed him his blood, healing him, and though the sheriff had been originally wary, he was infinitely more grateful. They'd come to an agreement then; Stiles needed to hide, and the sheriff was lonely so they would act as father and son, providing companionship, protection, and a home to hide in. It had initially been a bit uncomfortable, but they'd soon grown fond of each other, and now it felt as if they truly were family.

“If he knew, he'd probably try to  _actually_ rip my throat out with his teeth.”

“If it's any consolation, I could try and shoot him first.” John joked, and Stiles grinned.

“I do appreciate the sentiment.” John nodded, ducking his head to look back down at the file. He was frowning at it more than usual so Stiles approached. “Is something wrong?” he asked, and John shook his head.

“I'm not sure, to be honest. You know those signs you asked me to watch out for?” John asked, and Stiles went completely still.

“Yes. Did you find something?”

“I'm not sure.” he pushed one of the files towards Stiles, and Stiles zipped closer, bending over the paper. “Freak weather storms and people have been found drained of blood. It sounds like-”

“Yes, it does.” Stiles' read over the names of the towns and cities the events had happened in and relaxed. “It doesn't look like they're coming closer though. Thank you for watching for this.” he said, touching the sheriff's shoulder, and the man nodded.

“Of course. I'll let you know if anything else happens.” Stiles nodded and then headed out, giving a wave. He wanted to watch what happened between Derek's pack and the alpha pack.

 

The meeting went much like Stiles expected it to; there were thinly veiled threats from the alpha pack, offended growls from Derek's pack, and Stiles couldn't help but be amused by the youth presented in meetings like this. It was so clear how young the wolves were when he witnessed them in the face of older creatures.

 

He made sure to be back at the loft by the time the pack arrived back, and sat on the couch as he watched them all filter in. He pretended to ignore them, controller in hand as he played a game on the TV, and could feel the eyes on him as they entered. They were all clearly surprised he was still there. Stiles just smirked. If only they knew.

“How'd the meeting go?” he asked when Scott dropped down next to him, snagging the controller, and Scott's silence was answer enough.

“They were jerks.” Erica provided, dropping down on his other side, and Stiles agreed with her assessment. Though of course, he'd already known that.

“Are they going to leave though?” Stiles asked, and it was Jackson who answered.

“No. They don't think we're worthy enough.” the words obviously didn't sit well with Jackson who'd struggled so much to become a part of the pack and manage to become a proper werewolf. Being told he wasn't worthy would've hit hard. Stiles frowned. He remembered hearing something along those lines, and it didn't sit well with him either.

“What do they plan to do about that though?” he asked, though he had suspicions. He remembered what he'd heard about the alpha pack before he'd arrived in Beacon Hills, and he was afraid those rumours might be true. Those rumours were nearly as frightening for wolves as the rumours of his family were for vampires.

“They collect alphas.” Peter said, coming up behind the couch where Stiles sat and leaning in far too close, close enough to make Stiles shift uncomfortably. He really did have this human thing down; even Peter believed he was uncomfortable when really he knew that he could kill everyone in the room before they could even consider hurting him.

“What does that mean for us?” it was Isaac who asked, and Derek frowned.

“You don't have to worry about that. They won't be collecting anyone.” Stiles didn't hear Isaac's reply, because his attention had been caught by something outside. Someone, or multiple someones, were approaching the loft, and it seemed they weren't quite close enough to be heard by the wolves. Or at least they were quiet enough that only his far more sensitive hearing could hear them. His senses were stronger and more well honed than those of the wolves, and as useful as that was, since they all thought he was human, it made acting on what he was hearing very difficult. He realized an instant later who it was approaching; it was the alpha pack, and that meant trouble. Were they planning on attacking the Hale pack inside their alpha's home? How uncivil was that? His temper boiled under his skin and he forced himself to stay calm. He couldn't let his temper get the better of him, not now, not when he was finally able to watch this pack begin to become what the Hale pack truly could be.

“Hey, did you hear that?” he asked, hoping they'd at least try and listen even if it was just to prove him wrong, but he just got looks all around.

“Come on, Stiles. You're surrounded by werewolves. If something were coming, we'd hear it.” Stiles almost wanted to laugh at the statement, but before he could, the door flew open, and the alphas poured in. Kali moved first, going straight for Derek, while the twins went for Scott, Isaac, and Jackson. Stiles was immediately pushed behind Erica and Boyd when Ennis came forward, and Peter moved in to help against the twins. Stiles' gaze snapped to Deucalion, the alpha of the alphas who stood in the doorway, smirk on his face. Part of him wanted to race over and snap his neck, but he knew he had to be careful. While he was fast, and strong, it had been a long time since he had been in a fight, and he needed to make sure he didn't get bitten. He didn't need that kind of trouble. That was when Kali and Ennis switched places though, and he watched Kali's claws slice towards Erica, going for a kill. He couldn't help himself; he jumped forward, listening as Scott called for him to stop, and threw one hand out, the power from his mother's line flaring through him, throwing her aside. She crashed into the wall with a resounding bang, and everyone looked over. Of course, in the moment of distraction, the alphas tried to get the upper hand, but Stiles moved faster than any eyes could follow. He grabbed the twins, each by the back of their necks and tossed them over into Kali, watching them all land in a heap and then went for Ennis. Ennis had the gal to bite at him, and with a snarl, Stiles plunged his hand into the alphas chest. Before he could wrap his fingers around his heart, he was grabbed from behind, but he spun around, power crackling around him, and the alpha who grabbed him flew back, body convulsing from an electric shock. Stiles spun back, and this time his fingers did close around Ennis' heart. He gave a feral snarl.

“You aren't alphas. You're wild dogs. Nobody attacks my pack.” and with that, he tugged, and the wolf's heart came with. The body dropped to the ground and Stiles turned, tossing the heart at Deucalion's feet. “The Hale pack is worthy. Now leave.”

He watched Deucalion take a step back and saw the flicker of fear pass over his features.

“Nobody told me that the Hale pack was involved with an Original.” he stated, clearly wary and trying to backpedal now that he realized who he was really up against. Stiles said nothing and Deucalion bowed his head. “We will leave Beacon Hills in peace. We're sorry for bringing you trouble.” the room reeked of fear as the alpha pack realized what they were facing, and with a nod of Deucalion's head, they made to leave, collecting body and heart, and leaving the loft. “We'll be gone by nightfall.” Stiles gave a sharp nod, and the moment they were out of sight, he took in a deep breath. For a moment his features had changed, and he knew his pack had seen it. Taking a deep breath, he turned to face them, looking first to Erica.

“Are you okay?” he asked, and she nodded, clearly shell shocked as she watched him, eyes wide. It was Scott who spoke first.

“Stiles, he said he didn't realize we were involved with an original. An original what?”

“Vampire.” Peter said, approaching and offering Stiles a towel to clean his hand. Peter's smile said he wasn't in the least bit afraid, but Stiles could see the wary look in his eyes. Of course, he knew that it didn't mean the older wolf would stop flirting.

“Vampire?” Jackson asked, and Stiles winced.

“Yeah. That's me. Original vampire.” he said, and flashed across the room and back just to prove a point.

“But when you knocked Kali, that wasn't speed or strength – that was –”

“Magic.” Stiles provided, and even Peter was surprised by that. “It was magic.” he glanced at Derek who'd remained surprisingly quiet, and what he saw there had him wanting to wince. “Look, if you guys want to know the truth, we should probably get cleaned up first. It's kind of a long story.”

 

Two hours later, they were all sitting around the loft, everybody shocked to silence by Stiles' story. He'd told them he was here hiding from his parents who wanted to kill him and his siblings, and that he'd split away from his siblings because they'd disagreed on how to protect themselves. He'd told them about how he'd taken the name Stilinski after he'd saved the sheriff's life and they'd made the agreement to be each others family.

“So your parents want to kill you and your siblings?” Scott asked, unable to believe it, and Stiles nodded.

“When we were younger, it was harder to control the bloodlust, and we didn't think we should have to. We were young, naive, and powerful. Not things that go well together. Our father, Mikael, also became a vampire, but then again, the chase didn't start with him wanting to kill all of us; just Niklaus.”

“Why Niklaus? Why not the rest of you?” Peter asked, and Stiles frowned. He remembered when he'd discovered the reason, but he'd never thought it was a good enough reason to wish him dead. None of them had.

“Because he's technically a bastard son. He doesn't belong to Mikael. Our mother was – unfaithful.” there was a pause before Boyd asked the next question.

“Now he wants to kill the rest of you though, why?” Stiles sighed.

“Because we protected Niklaus. No matter what, he's still my brother and I love him. We all do. Because of that, he decided we would die alongside him. If we protected the abomination, we'd die like him.” he quoted, and suppressed a shudder. He hated his father.

“What about your mother?” Boyd prodded, and Stiles shrugged.

“Niklaus accidentally killed her, when we were first turned. It was an accident. She didn't become a vampire, but remained human. She thought becoming a vampire would take away her magic so she wouldn't make the change. Klaus, in a fit of rage after she followed our fathers orders to bind part of his nature, killed her. She didn't stay dead though. She came back and decided that we were all monsters from the moment we turned, and that she could not allow us, with good conscience, to live.” there was silence again and then it was Peter who spoke next.

“But you left your siblings, you came here.”

Stiles gave a short laugh.

“I didn't leave them just for that.” he paused, unsure how to proceed. “I said earlier that I love my siblings absolutely, and I do, always and forever,” the words nearly hurt to say, “But my family, they can be very difficult. Niklaus and I had a disagreement.” he said, though the word made the event sound mild in comparison to what it really was. “I decided then that I needed a break from my family, and a break from all that surrounded them. On my own it's easy to hide from our parents. My scent is masked with magic, and I usually pose as a human. My siblings are not so careful.”

Again silence reigned and Stiles waited for their reaction, nearly afraid of it. He cared dearly about everyone in the room and didn't want to have to leave them, but if they requested it, he would. He wouldn't impose.

“I won't say I'm not glad you can take care of yourself.” It was Erica who spoke first, a wide grin spreading across her face. “Now I don't have to worry about you getting your skinny butt killed.” Stiles gave a relieved grin, and relaxed when Boyd nodded with her in agreement.

“How come you kept it hidden so long? You let Gerrard Argent beat you up to make a point. Why would you do that?”

“Because if one hunter knew about me, then they would all know about me, and you can guarantee that my parents would find me before my siblings would. Plus I heal at lightning speed. My bruises only seemed to last so long because I cast a glamour.”

“Glamour?” Jackson asked with raised eyebrows, and Stiles rolled his eyes.

“I made you see an appearance that wasn't mine.” he rephrased, and then finally chanced another look at Derek. The alpha was watching him with a blank look even he couldn't decipher, and so Stiles stood. He would leave and let the wolves sort this out among themselves.

“I've got to go check on dad – I mean the sheriff.” he corrected, but the correction made him visibly wince. He often wished he'd been born as Stiles Stilinski rather than Stiles Mikaelson. He flashed out, not even bothering to hide his nature anymore, and left the wolves staring after him in awe.

“It explains why he always knew so much about everything.” Isaac finally said, and when all eyes turned his way he shrugged.

“It certainly does explain a lot.” Peter agreed with a smirk, but all eyes were on Derek now. Nobody had missed his continual silence, and it set them all on edge. “Perhaps you'd like to share your thoughts with the class,” Peter prompted his nephew. “We're all just dying to know your opinion on Stiles' secret.”

“He's a vampire.” Derek bit out, and all the betas visibly flinched.

“A vampire who only revealed his identity to save young Ms. Reyes life.” Peter pointed out, and Derek cut a look towards his uncle. Peter on the other hand, did not back down. “Perhaps it's time for everyone to go.” he said, looking around, and everyone was quick to leave, not wanting to get in the way of the argument they all knew was about to take place. When the loft was empty except for Peter and Derek, Peter began again. “Prejudice is not a good thing to start so early in life, Derek.” Peter informed him, but Derek grimaced.

“He's a blood sucking vampire. He's killed people before. He admitted it.” Peter just lifted a brow.

“Are you trying to tell me that while I have gained your forgiveness for killing your sister only a few years ago, you won't forgive him for the lives of strangers he took centuries before your birth?” Peter demanded, and Derek flinched.

“We just watched him kill someone.” Derek argued, but Peter scoffed.

“He just saved the lives of every single one of us.” Peter growled. “If not for his actions, they would have slowly killed off your pack, and it's more than likely that they would've forced you to kill at least half of them.” furious with his nephew, Peter turned to leave. “Perhaps you should admit what this is really about; you have feelings for Stiles and you're afraid to admit it. This,” he jabbed a hand at the air, “Childishness, is just another excuse for you to ignore them.” Peter snapped before leaving, slamming the door behind him, and as soon as Derek was alone, he slumped back, as if his strings had been cut. Stiles was a vampire; the awkward, spastic, teenager he'd known wasn't real; instead, the face belonged to a thousand year old original vampire. Not knowing how to deal with that, Derek pushed the thought aside. His wolf was howling inside his mind, begging to be let out, and he decided now was a good a time as any. He needed to clear his head, and a run would be a good way to do it.

 

 


	2. Reunion

Elijah Mikaelson heard his phone ring from across the room and in a flash he moved to answer it.

“I have news about an Original.” the voice on the other end said, and Elijah froze. The only originals that were not with him were his parents and his youngest brother, and he would kill for news on either.

“And that would be?” Elijah replied cooly, and the voice seemed nervous. They cleared their throat before responding.

“There are rumours about one in Beacon Hills. There is a vampire there rumoured to be strong enough to take on a pack of alphas.” Elijah could almost taste his excitement. If it was a single vampire, chances were it was his youngest brother. They'd been searching for him for over a century.

“Is that all?” he asked, and the voice on the other end gave the affirmative but didn't hang up. “Is there something you wish for?” Elijah asked, irritation bleeding through, and the voice on the other hand confirmed this.

“The territory the vampire protects should, by law, be given to the alphas. The pack the vampire is rumoured to protect does not follow the code, and so should be dispatched of.” the voice said, and Elijah found it very easy then to discern just who this anonymous voice belonged to; one of said alpha pack.

“I see. Perhaps then you'd like to arrange a meeting. If you can prove that this rumoured vampire is indeed an original, my family will do something about your little problem.” he was given thanks before the werewolf hung up, and the moment the line went dead Elijah flashed to Klaus study. His brother looked over from where he painted, but the moment he saw Elijah's expression he set down his brush.

“What is it?”

“I may have found Stiles.”

 

***

 

Stiles was in his room when he heard the footsteps approaching his house, but he didn't bother getting up. When the knock sounded on his window, he just called that it was open. Scott swung in through the window and stood there awkwardly for a moment until he realized Stiles wasn't planning on saying anything, and then he flopped down on the bed beside his best friend.

“So, what else can a vampire do?” he asked, and the nerves Stiles had felt at the approaching footsteps faded. He turned his head to grin at his friend who grinned right back.

“Wanna see?”

 

The rest of the pack found Scott and Stiles at the high school. It was clear they'd been searching for them, and now even Allison and Lydia were with them, obviously having been filled in. Stiles and Scott were playing a one on one game of lacrosse, sprinting back and forth, and they all saw Scott tackle Stiles with none of the reserve he'd had to have when they'd thought Stiles was human. Of course, Scott's luck didn't last long, and soon Stiles was speeding back across the field, the goal becoming his. They were both laughing when the pack approached, and Stiles stopped first, eyes flickering between Scott and the pack.

“Christ, Stilinski. You're just as spastic as you were as a human.” Jackson snapped, breaking the tension. “I'll show you how to play lacrosse.” and just like that, him, Isaac, Erica, and Boyd were in the game, splitting into two teams and playing a very violent game of lacrosse. Allison and Lydia sat on the sidelines, cheering everyone on, and after an hour or so, Stiles noticed Peter had joined them as well. The older Hale gave him a wave and suggestive smile, but Stiles just rolled his eyes, launching the ball in his direction. Peter caught it easily, tossing it back to one of the betas, and Stiles grinned, turning back to the game. This was a better reaction than he'd hoped to get. He felt lucky, but of course, he couldn't help wondering how long his luck would last.

When the night ended, everyone exhausted but happy, Stiles was disappointed that Derek had never shown up. He knew that the alpha had obviously taken it harder than the rest of them, but he couldn't believe he was so against him. The thought sent a stab of pain through his chest but he ignored it. He wanted Derek to accept what Stiles was to him, but he wasn't going to force him. Just maybe gently nudge. Derek needed to accept who he was, or they were going to have some very big problems.

 

***

 

It took two days for the original siblings to arrive in Beacon Hills, California.

“This is the town Stiles has been hiding in?” Rebekah asked, disdain clear on her features, and Elijah nodded.

“So it would seem. We'll find out the truth in a moment.” he said, and all four siblings turned when the doors to the warehouse opened and four werewolves came out.

“You must be the original family.” the one who was the clear leader spoke, and the siblings exchanged glances.

“Who exactly are you?” It was Klaus who spoke this time, voice demanding, and they watched the woman and the identical twin wolves snarl.

“We are the alpha pack. I am Deucalion, this is Kali, and these are Ethan and Aiden.”

“You called me with information about an original.” Elijah prompted, and the one called Deucalion nodded.

“I did. The werewolf pack he protected called him Stiles, and he is living with the town's sheriff acting as his son.”

“What makes you sure he was an original?” Kol spoke for the first time, sounding bored, and Deucalion's supposedly blind eyes turned in his direction.

“Because I've only ever heard of one vampire in all mythology that can wield magic, and he was an original.” the siblings seemed shocked by the news, but they were left with no doubt now that it was their brother who'd fought these werewolves. None of them missed the fear either that seemed to be in the features of each alpha wolf. It would seem their dearest brother had threatened the wolves, probably intending they leave.

“It would seem you're correct,” Klaus noted, dangerous smile spreading across his features. “You have indeed found an original.”

Deucalion's chin lifted in defiance to Klaus' tone.

“Since I've confirmed my claim, now you can fulfil your end of the bargain. Eradicate the Hale pack.”

“Is that what I bargained?” Elijah questioned, looking thoughtful. “No, I do not think it is. In fact, I think my words were that my family would do something about your little problem.” Elijah repeated, and then gave a slow nod. “Yes, I do believe that was it.”

“Our problem is the Hale pack.” the female wolf snarled, and the moment the words left her lips, Kol shot forward, and they all heard the crack and tear as her spine snapped and her head was removed from her body. The other three alphas turned with snarls, shifting, but the originals moved faster than they could dream to, disposing of them quickly. When the wolves were dead, they faced each other over the carnage.

“If Stiles is indeed here, we must tread carefully.” Elijah said, giving Klaus a cool look. “We do not need him running again.” Klaus scowled, but didn't argue.

“What about this wolf pack he's supposedly protecting? Or the human he lives with?”

“We mustn't hurt them.” Rebekah chided, and Kol shot her a look demanding why not. She gave a huff. “These people are important to him. Unless you want him to hate us more than he probably already does, then we mustn't do anything to hurt him.”

“He doesn't hate me,” Kol argued, “Just Nik.” Klaus' scowl darkened, and Elijah put up hands for peace.

“We can lure him out here. Once he's heard that the pack of alphas has not left Beacon Hills, he'll be drawn out to see why. We can approach him then.”

“You mean ambush him.” Kol said, nodding in agreement with the plan, and though Elijah frowned, none could argue. They did plan to ambush him because they didn't think there'd be any other way to get him to listen. Their youngest brother had left nearly two centuries before when Klaus had once again daggered Kol and Rebekah in his anger with the excuse of protecting them, and Stiles had frowned upon not only that but Klaus' careless nature. He hadn't been hiding but flaunting his power, and Stiles had sworn it would get them all killed. They'd argued, and then Stiles had disappeared. At first, Elijah had thought Klaus had daggered their youngest sibling for the first time in their long lives, but then rumours had began sprouting up about a single original vampire, and they'd chased him around the world ever since. In that period, Klaus had undaggered both Kol and Rebekah, and slowly gone through the process of earning their forgiveness, starting with giving them each the dagger he'd kept for their use. It had been a slow and painful process, but after two centuries, they'd managed to come to peace and now they all shared the single goal of reuniting their family.

 

***

 

Stiles was woken up by Scott jumping in through his window and shaking him awake.

“Stiles! The alphas haven't left. Their scents all over town. Derek's afraid their going to attack again.” he didn't mention that Derek had shouted at him to keep an eye on Stiles so that 'the vampire didn't kill anyone', but they all knew what that really meant; so that nobody killed the vampire. Stiles shot up at the words, quickly scrambling to get dressed.

“Let's go.”

The whole pack ended up at the warehouse, and when they stood in front of the closed door, Stiles looked at Derek.

“Anything?” he asked, and Derek cut a look towards him.

“Can't you tell?”

Stiles forced himself not to grind his teeth.

“Super hearing, yes. Super smell when it comes to blood, yes. Able to tell how long ago a werewolf was here? That's your job, sourwolf.” he snapped, and for a moment it looked like Derek almost relaxed at the familiar nickname. Of course, Stiles knew better than to think Derek would relax around him now.

“Something's off.” Derek finally said, and glanced back at the pack. “Erica, Boyd, Isaac, check the woods. Scott, Peter, you and I are going around the back.” he looked at Stiles and then took a breath. “Stiles and Jackson are going to come through the front.” then he looked at Allison and Lydia. “You stay here. Cover the entrance.” Allison nodded, crossbow at the ready, and Lydia gave a bored expression, but they all knew that meant she agreed. Everyone moved out and Stiles looked at Jackson.

“Can you tell what he meant by off?” Stiles asked, and Jackson frowned, cocking his head.

“It smells musty. But it's a weird kind of must. It's – new.” he shrugged at the confusing statement and then started forward. They went through the front door together, and the moment they did, the scent of blood hit them.

“Oh my god. What the hell have they been doing?” Jackson growled, but alarm bells were ringing in Stiles' head.

“Jackson – get back to the girls.” he found himself ordering, but before Jackson could move, a figure was shooting towards him.

“Stiles!” Jackson shouted, and leapt forward even as the figure grabbed at him. With a snarl, Jackson grabbed the person and tossed them away, crouching in front of Stiles with a growl.

“I'm impressed little brother, it seems the werewolves are very protective of you.” Stiles was hit with a wave disbelief when Kol came forward, brushing himself off. Clearly it had been him that Jackson had thrown.

“Kol?” he asked in disbelief, and Kol didn't miss what seemed to be relief in his little brother's eyes.

“You know this asshole?” Jackson demanded, straightening, and though Kol lifted a brow, Stiles nodded.

“This is my brother, Kol.” he told Jackson, and then he took a step around Jackson. “You were daggered. I left because you were being kept in a box.” his voice was so soft, so disbelieving, and Kol shrugged.

“It would seem you leaving was all it took for dear old Nik to realize he was going to alienate all of us if he kept up with his childish actions.” Kol said, and a snort was heard from the shadows as the man in question stepped forwards.

“I beg to differ.” he said, before looking at Stiles. “We have made our peace, Stiles. And we have been searching for you together.” Stiles was shaking his head and then turned when Rebekah and Elijah both appeared.

“'Bekah?” he seemed just as shocked to see her, and then he let out a laugh, his eyes scanning over all their faces. Then he was moving in a flash, hugging his sister first, squeezing hard enough to break bones. He was pulled away from his sister by Kol, held in a headlock from behind, ruffling his hair.

“I can't believe you managed to hide for two centuries.” he growled playfully, but before Stiles could respond, there was an angry snarl, and Stiles found himself reeling in surprise. They turned in time to see the pack charging, and he realized what it looked like; the way Kol was holding him would appear like they were threatening him.

“No! Guys! Wait!” he pulled away from Kol, flashing between his family and his pack. They were already so close though, Derek going for Kol, and before Derek could bite his brother, Stiles flashed in between, wincing as teeth broke his skin. He threw Derek back, covering the bite spot before anyone could see it, and with a flick of his wrist, everyone was held absolutely still. “Alright, let's try this again. So I've figured out why the alpha pack didn't leave. They're dead. And the folk behind me are why.” He looked at his pack. “Guys, meet my siblings.” then he turned to his family. “And this is my pack.” When he was sure everyone had heard him, he let everyone go, and it was Peter that steadied him, having been closest.

“Be careful little vampire,” he said, voice teasing, “If you use too much of your magic your vampire nature may rebel.”

“Yeah well, if I decide to start drinking from people again I'll put you at the top of my list.” he snarked back, and then realized that his family was watching Peter with narrowed eyes. Oops. He realized then what it looked like and carefully extracted himself from Peter's hold. Noticing the situation, Peter just winked at him and Stiles couldn't help but roll his eyes. Despite the fact that he actually was older than the wolf, it still seemed creepy.

“What are they doing here, Stiles.” Derek growled, and Stiles shot him a look. He was used to Derek's rough nature, but he knew how his siblings would react to the werewolf treating Stiles that way, and it usually ended up with the guilty party's head on a platter.

“Seeing as our brother saved the lives of you and your pack, you would do well to show him a little more respect.” Elijah's voice was cool, but it was a clear warning. Stiles just heaved a sigh.

“This is my family.”

“The one you were running from?” Erica asked, and Stiles winced but nodded. There were frowns from all of the wolves except Peter who was regarding the originals with thinly veiled curiosity.

“We heard that you were protecting a pack of wolves, but we did not realize you'd grown so fond of them.” Klaus noted, and Stiles turned a wary look on his brother.

“Well I am fond of them, so watch yourself.” the tension in the warehouse raised considerably, but then Scott broke the tension.

“Stiles, dude, if we aren't here to fight, think we could go for pizza? I skipped breakfast to come get you.” Stiles burst out laughing and moved over to his friend, swinging an arm around his shoulders.

“Absolutely, buddy. Pizza's a great idea.” he looked at his family once again, a bit wary. “You're welcome to join us.” he invited. “We'll probably end up taking the pizza to the lacrosse field anyways.”

“Lacrosse?” It was Kol who spoke, obviously having decided he would go wherever Stiles went. “Did you play, little brother?”

“Yeah, but he pretended to suck so we wouldn't realize he was a bloodsucker.” Jackson said, moving up to shove Stiles, and before the originals could react, they saw their youngest sibling grin from ear to ear.

“You should be glad I was pretending to be human, otherwise I would've kicked your ass.”

Jackson snorted.

“As if, Stilinski. There is no way you could beat me. Scott, sure. But not me.” Scott let out a sound of protest, and there were snickers from the wolf pack.

“Well, I for one think Stiles did well despite his human pretence.” Peter said, and Stiles just snorted. This was certainly going to be interesting.

He split away from the pack when they got to the cars, promising to meet them at the lacrosse field, but knowing he should face his family alone before then. When the pack had driven out of hearing range, Stiles finally turned, facing his family.

“You've changed quite a bit, little one.” Klaus noted, and Stiles grimaced.

“You know, I'm not that little anymore.” Stiles protested, but was gratified to see the soft smile on Klaus' face. It was a smile he hadn't seen since long before he'd run away.

“You'll always be little to us.” Elijah added, and Stiles rolled his eyes before shifting nervously from foot to foot.

“How did you find me?” he finally asked, and there was a moment of silence before Elijah responded.

“It was the alpha pack you warned off. They called hoping we would kill the Hale pack so they could take control of the territory, and either remove you or kill you along with them.” Stiles flinched at the thought, but it clearly isn't how his family had chosen to act.

“So you killed them instead?”

“Stiles, we have been trying to find you and reunite our family for a very long time now. Do you really think we would act so rashly as to alienate you by killing the pack they claimed you were protecting?” Rebekah asked, and Stiles gave a tired smile.

“I suppose not.” he finally agreed, but he didn't know what to do next. He was happy in Beacon Hills, but he knew his family wouldn't want to stay.

“Why did you choose to remain here?” it was Klaus who asked, and Stiles debated telling the truth or not. Finally he opted for the truth. As dysfunctional as his family could be, he loved them above all, and he didn't want to create any more distance than there already was with more lies.

“I saved a man, and we came upon an agreement that I could remain here in return for my having saved his life.”

“That is the sheriff then? The reason they think your family name is Stilinski? Sort of funny, isn't it? How it suits your name.” Kol said, and Stiles allowed a smile.

“Yeah, that's the sheriff. I've enjoyed my years here.”

“And the wolves?” Klaus asked, and Stiles shrugged.

“They grew on me.” he paused and then heaved a sigh. “And I might just be the mate of one of them.” he mumbled, and all eyes went wide.

“What did you just say?” Klaus demanded, and Stiles winced, averting his eyes and remaining silent. He flinched when he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Rebekah. It soothed him a bit since of all his siblings he knew she would understand best. With her by his side, he took a breath.

“One of the werewolves, their wolf side chose me as their mate.” he said more firmly this time, and watched his brothers' exchange glances. Klaus was scowling, but Stiles wouldn't look away this time.

“Mate? You must be joking. Which one was it?” he demanded, and Stiles shrugged.

“Doesn't matter. The human side refuses to accept it.” they all fell silent at that and he felt Rebekah's hand squeeze his shoulder in comfort. They all knew what happened when the wolf essence chose a mate, and they also knew what it did to the chosen when the human half refused to acknowledge it. It was not a pleasant thought, and it only made Klaus more angry.

“Which one is it?” he demanded again, even angrier this time, and Stiles felt his shoulders sag. Why did this have to be the thing his brother fixated on? Even as his shoulders slumped, he was caught in a hug, and he was shocked by Klaus' actions as his second oldest brother held him tightly. “I apologize, little one. But to see you unhappy after searching for you for so long-” he paused, releasing Stiles only so he could lean back, hands still on Stiles' shoulder. “It does not sit well.” Stiles nodded, understanding that at least.

“Well, there's nothing you can do. And I will know if you try and do anything. This isn't something I want any of you meddling in.” he said, giving them all a look, and there were nods of acceptance all around. With that, he finally relaxed, happy smile finally breaking out on his features. “It's so good to see you all.” They converged on Stiles, each so glad to see him, and Stiles almost wished they had found him earlier if it wouldn't mean he would've missed the experiences of Beacon Hills.

 

When the original family arrived at the lacrosse field, pizza had already been bought and Klaus, Elijah, Rebekah, and Kol watched as their youngest sibling grinned at the sight of his friends and flashed over. Of course, they all tensed when the oldest werewolf grabbed him around the waist, pulling him into a backwards embrace.

“Really now, Stiles. There's no need to be such a show off.”

“Peter? You really should remove your hands before one of my siblings decide to remove them for you.” Stiles said pleasantly, and it was Klaus who approached, watching them carefully.

“He's right, the one doing the removing would be me, and I can't guarantee your hands would remain attached to anything once I've removed them from my brother.” Peter met Klaus' gaze above Stiles' head, but instead of fear, there was only a flirtatious smirk.

“I can think of far better uses of my hands.” was Peter's reply, and Klaus just lifted a brow.

“Is that so?” Peter's smirk grew fractionally wider and he lifted a hand to card it through Stiles' hair.

“It most definitely is.”

“Ew. Get a room. I don't think any of us want to see this freaky threesome going anywhere.” Jackson snapped, and Erica gave a laugh.

“I don't know about that,” she practically purred, and Stiles felt his cheeks flushing red as he removed himself from Peter's grasp. Unlike normal, Peter allowed his escape with little resistance, eyes still tracked on Klaus.

“Erica, we really need to work on censoring your dirty imagination.” he informed her, but she just turned that rapacious smile in his direction. He just wheeled out of the way and looked for sympathy from someone else. He looked at Scott who was busy exchanging happy smiles with Allison and then focused on Isaac. He looked safe. He dropped down beside the beta and Isaac just gave him a knowing look before leading Stiles' gaze in the direction of his alpha. Derek, it seemed, had chosen to join them this time, but was looking positively murderous. As if feeling his gaze, Derek looked in his direction, but instead of his gaze cooling, it stayed just as furious. Stiles immediately looked away and felt Isaac's comforting touch in the brush of their shoulders. The rest of the evening went fairly well; the originals luckily seemed to know without asking that Stiles wanted to stay in Beacon Hills and so played nice, or as nice as they could. Klaus and Peter seemed to be playing a game to see who would back down first, while Kol had decided to needle at Jackson for throwing him across the warehouse earlier. Rebekah had happily made her home next to Erica, and Elijah was questioning Allison about her hunter heritage. Stiles watched it all with a smile on his face. This was perfect to him. Or at least, it was until he thought he saw someone watching them from the edge of the forest. He was on his feet in an instant with everyone's eyes on him.

“Scott, c'mere.” he gestured, and when his friend stood, he took them both across the field to where he'd seen the person. “Do you smell anything or anyone?” he asked nervously, stretching his senses to see if he sensed anyone, but there was nothing.

“No, I've got nothing. What did you see?” Stiles shook his head, unconsciously scratching his shoulder.

“Must be nothing.” he mumbled, and flashed back across the field with Scott. Then he gave a nervous look back to the trees. “I've just gotta check in with dad – I mean the sheriff, about something.” he looked first to his pack. “I'll see you guys later.” then he looked at his siblings. “Where are you four staying?”

“A hotel, for now. Though there is a lovely property on the south end of the town,” Elijah said, and Stiles nodded.

“Right, well I'll meet you at the hotel then.” with that, he was off, leaving everyone frowning after him.

“That was unusual.” Peter remarked, and all eyes turned to him so he gave a shrug. “Stiles has always been peculiar and his mind only spends about a second on a subject before he's moved on, but rarely does he appear so-” he paused, looking for the right word, and it was Derek who answered, speaking for the first time.

“Afraid.” the attention that had been focused on Peter switched to Derek, and it was Klaus who spoke next.

“Why would he be afraid?” Klaus asked, and Derek shrugged.

“Do I look like a mind reader? I'm just telling you what I saw.” Klaus glared at him a moment, eyes dissecting the alpha, and then he noticed what the alpha was trying so hard to hide; concern. Klaus blinked and looked around, meeting the gazes of his siblings. It was then that one of the beta's spoke up.

“Stiles has this thing in his room,” he said, and everyone looked at him in surprise. “It's like a map, and he has two of them. One of them was probably tracking you guys, and after he told us your story, I figured the other map is keeping track of your parents. Since his dad's the sheriff,” Isaac paused, frowning before starting again, “Since he's living with the sheriff, sheriff Stilinski probably has access to all sorts of police resources all across the country, he's probably been using that to help Stiles out. Since apparently he's known about the vampire thing all along.” he shrugged, now looking uncomfortable with all the attention, and Erica reached over to rub his shoulder in comfort.

“Perhaps we should visit the home Stiles has been staying in.” Rebekah ventured, but Derek shook his head again.

“Stiles would be pissed. He hates being interrupted when he's trying to do research.” Elijah lifted a brow but when all the wolves seemed to agree with their alpha, they conceded.

“Very well.” Elijah said first, and then disappeared, followed moments later by the rest of his siblings.

“That was interesting.” Lydia noted as soon as they were gone, and there were murmured agreements.

“How long do you think they'll stay in town?” Allison asked, and nobody could give an answer.

“I would assume as long as Stiles stays. Now that they've found him, I doubt very much that they would let him out of their sights.” Peter said, and there were groans all around.

“At least we don't have to worry about the alphas anymore.” Allison pointed out, but she was immediately shot down by Derek.

“Now all we have to worry about are the murderous parents of our new visitors.”

 

 


	3. Bitten

It was 4am when Derek woke up to the sound of his front door opening, and he went from dozing to wide awake in an instant. He rolled out of bed, footsteps silent on the ground as he moved through the loft, looking for the intruder, and stopped short when he saw Stiles swaying on his feet, looking sickly.

“Help,” though it was barely a whisper, the word seemed to explode in Derek's ears, and he rushed forward before he could even consider what he was doing, catching Stiles even as he fell.

“What happened to you?” Derek demanded, and Stiles opened his eyes and seemed to look nowhere but everywhere at once. When he finally focused on Derek, Derek was hit by a wave of panic.

“Werewolf bites are poisonous to a vampire.” Stiles croaked, and Derek's panic skyrocketed. He hadn't thought anything of it earlier; Stiles had moved so quickly, and though he'd felt himself start to bite it hadn't registered that maybe he'd injured Stiles. Stiles was shifting then, his normally pale skin now sticky with sweat, and he unzipped the hoodie he'd changed into, revealing his bare torso underneath. Derek didn't have time to admire him, his gaze was drawn to the now festering marks on Stiles' shoulder, and he felt the blood drain from his face.

“Shit, Stiles. What can I do?”

“I'm not sure. A glass of water would be nice though.” Stiles managed with a strained smile, and Derek was doing it even before he'd realized what he was doing. It wasn't until he was helping Stiles drink the water that he realized how easy this was for him; to help without even thinking, and though he felt his wolf's approval, his mind still rebelled. Stiles was a vampire. He felt himself go to move away but then Stiles was coughing, whole body jerking with the action, pain in every line of his body.

“Shit.” Derek was cursing again, laying Stiles down on the couch and pulling his sweater off him so nothing would touch the wound. “I'm going to call Deaton.” he said, and Stiles shook his head.

“Not a good idea, big guy.” he managed to say, voice hoarse, and Derek frowned.

“Why not?”

“Once he finds out what I am he's more likely to try and finish the job than help me.” the idea of Stiles being dead hit him all at once and he found himself momentarily stunned by the intensity of his need for the other to stay alive.

“I have to do _something_ ,” Derek growled, and was rewarded with a weak smile.

“You could talk to me,” Stiles said, and Derek frowned. “This is only going to get worse. There's no cure for a werewolf bite. Lucky for you, I'm a special breed of vampire and it won't kill me. It'll just be extremely painful.” Derek's wolf was whining at him at the idea of Stiles in any more pain, and he couldn't help but concede to it. Despite everything, the kid didn't deserve to be in pain. A voice in his thoughts reminded him that Stiles wasn't actually a kid, but he ignored it. He would help in any way he could.

“Alright, fine. We'll talk.” Derek conceded, though unhappily, and was rewarded with another smile.

“Awesome. You pick the subject.” Stiles suggested, eyes drooping closed, and Derek scowled at him. This seemed like punishment of some sort, but when Stiles went into another fit of coughing, again he found himself conceding.

“So, vampire witch. I'm sort of confused on how that works.” Derek finally managed, and Stiles nodded slowly against the couch.

“To be honest, I'm not to clear on it either. I would have thought that if anyone were to inherit it, it would be Rebekah, but then again, when we were turned, we all should've lost any sort of witchiness. Vampirism takes precedence. Since it cuts off the connection to the earth, the living.” Derek could sense something behind that in the flicker of sadness that passed over Stiles features but he didn't press it. Now wasn't the time for such things.

“I have to admit, you caught me off guard when you took on the alphas.” Derek began again, and Stiles chuckled.

“Kinda caught myself off guard too. I didn't mean to reveal myself anytime soon, but I didn't have a choice.” Derek didn't respond and so Stiles continued. “Kali was going to kill Erica. I could see it happening. Kali was going for her throat and I knew Erica wouldn't be able to move fast enough to stop it. Boyd had been knocked back just far enough to be out of range to help, and all of the rest of you were busy.” Derek couldn't miss the sadness that filled Stiles' features. “Despite what you now know, you guys are still my pack, still mine to protect. Erica living was worth any shit you guys could give. Was worth getting kicked out.” Derek frowned, uncomfortable now.

“You thought we were going to kick you out of the pack?” Stiles opened his eyes now, bleary amusement clear as whiskey coloured eyes turned up to look at him.

“Clearly you couldn't see your own expression, dude.” Stiles said, but it wasn't a reprimand. “I know the relationship werewolves and vampires tend to have. Another reason I cloaked my scent.”

“Well you're an idiot.” Derek grumbled, and Stiles' expression demanded an explanation. “Of course we wouldn't kick you out of the pack.” he snapped. “Pack is pack. If we can have a hunter and a banshee, we can have a vampire.” he muttered, and Stiles' next smile was practically joyous.

“Glad to hear it.” he said, same smile in place, then he was coughing again. This time, he was left practically gasping for breath and he seemed to curl in on himself. The panic welled in Derek again but he kept himself calm.

“I could take some of your pain.” he finally said, mentally smacking himself over the head for forgetting, but the response he got was not the one he expected.

“No!” Stiles said sharply, and then winced. “No. I don't – I'm good. I can actually take a lot more than you'd think. Plus, you need your strength. Once my siblings get comfortable they'll be trouble. You'll need to keep an eye out for them. Klaus and Kol in particular.”

Derek had momentarily forgotten about the other vampires in town in the wake of Stiles' pain, and he frowned.

“I don't understand why you were so happy to see them. After over a century of running.” Derek said, sounding disinterested, though he couldn't help but be curious.

“Part of that is because I saw Kol first.” he sighed, shifting a bit with a wince so he could turn to see Derek without having to crane his neck. “I didn't tell you the whole story when I said I ran because we disagreed on how to protect ourselves. Klaus had this nasty habit of daggering his siblings.” Derek's eyebrows winged up and Stiles chuckled. “Long story, but there are daggers that can sort of momentarily kill us. Like put us in stasis. Anyways, he'd daggered Kol and though I wasn't happy with it, I couldn't really change his mind. Then he daggered Rebekah and I snapped.” he shrugged. “He did it because he thought it was safer; fewer vampires travelling together even though he brought them with in coffins. Mikael had gotten close. That's why he did it. He'd nearly found us and so Klaus daggered her and we were supposed to leave. I'd had enough. My siblings had been reckless, not curbing their instincts and not even trying to cover our tracks. I couldn't take it anymore. I told him to undagger them but he wouldn't listen so I left.” another coughing fit had him shivering, but he didn't move. “It was probably childish to run, but Klaus was going to get us all killed and I couldn't handle it. I didn't want to see them die. I still don't. So when they found me, and I realized Kol was undaggered, and so was Rebekah, it changed things. They were back and they weren't angry; it means they've solved their problems. They're the people I remember rather than the people they became.”

Derek nodded, he could understand that, it was part of why he'd forgiven Peter. Stiles started coughing again and his body convulsed, setting him off balance. Derek reached out to steady him and the moment his hand touched Stiles' skin, he was shocked by how cold the boy had become.

“Damn it, Stiles. You're ice cold.” Stiles nodded, shivering.

“I know. It's my body trying to fight off the infection. I'm just glad it's not a fever. I can handle cold better.” Derek just growled at him and yanked him forward. He wrapped his arms around the boy, pulling the blanket off the back of the couch over them.

“There. This way you won't end up dying of cold.” Derek grumbled, and though the action thrilled Stiles, he tried to shift away.

“Derek, it isn't a good idea for us to be this close.” he swallowed, not wanting to move, but not wanting to put Derek in danger. “The bite is draining my strength faster than anything else could so I'm starving. You happen to be filled with my meal of choice.” he winced at his own words, but Derek didn't let him go.

“I dare you to bite me.” Derek snapped, and Stiles would've laughed if it wasn't a legitimate worry of his.

“Derek, I'm serious. I could hurt you.” even he could hear the worry in his own voice, but instead Derek just held him tighter.

“So am I. If your body temperature drops too low you could start hallucinating. If we keep your body temperature even we don't run as high of a risk of that happening.” Stiles knew Derek was right, but that didn't stop his anxiety. “And if you do happen to bite me,” Derek said gruffly, “Werewolves heal pretty fast.” Stiles could've laughed at whole scenario if he wasn't so surprised. 24 hours earlier Stiles could barely get Derek to look at him without disgust, and now he was offering Stiles his blood?

“I think I might already be hallucinating.” Stiles finally said, and even though his head was resting against Derek's chest, listening to the steady heartbeat, he could practically see Derek's raised eyebrows, demanding just why he thought that. “Because there's no way the Derek I know would be this nice to me.” Derek scowled, but when he went to argue he realized Stiles was right. He _wasn't_ nice to Stiles and all because his wolf wanted to be.

“If it makes you feel any better, as soon as you're healthy I'll be tearing a strip off you for being so reckless.” Derek finally responded, and felt Stiles laugh more than he heard it. Then he was doing something else he wouldn't normally do; he carded his fingers through Stiles' hair in a soothing motion, trying to lull him to sleep. “Get some sleep, Stiles. If you aren't better by morning, I'm taking you to see your siblings.” Stiles didn't argue and Derek was struck by another thought. Stiles was right, he wasn't nice to him, and yet even still Stiles had come to him when he was hurt, not his best friend Scott, and not his family. “Why didn't you go to your family?” he found himself asking, “Why did you come to me?” when Stiles didn't answer right away, he thought he'd fallen asleep, but when Stiles finally spoke, it was resigned.

“You already know why.” he said, and Derek stiffened, mind revolting against the idea. He didn't know any such thing. But his wolf snarled at him, saying otherwise. Yes, he did know, he was just too stubborn to admit it. Derek didn't respond, instead he just shifted both himself and Stiles so he was more comfortable. Stiles made a sound of discomfort and Derek tensed again.

“Did I-”

“No, it's-” Stiles broke off, clearly uncomfortable. “I need to stop using magic.” he said, and Derek frowned.

“Then do it.” Again Stiles made his discomfort clear.

“If I do, my scent will change.” he finally said, and Derek had forgotten that already.

“It's fine. I don't really need the loft blowing up just because you want to smell human.” he made it sound almost as if wanting to smell human was stupid and felt Stiles relax against him.

“Okay.” Derek noticed the instant Stiles' scent changed, but rather than be uncomfortable, he relaxed. It was more familiar to him; the underlying scent that was purely Stiles was still there, mixed with what made him think of the old library in the Hale house. He realized it should've bothered him that he was more comfortable with this scent than the other, but he chose not to think about it, even as his wolf gave a hum of contentment.

“Now go to sleep, Stiles.” Derek ordered, and Stiles complied. Derek listened as his breathing evened out, and soon found himself falling to sleep as well.

 

When Derek woke up it was because he fell to the ground with a crash. He was on his feet in an instant and found himself staring at Stiles across the room. Stiles was panting, and now Derek could see that the bite hadn't gotten any better but worse; the wound had spread to cover his whole shoulder, and Derek felt himself gaping.

“Stiles, are you alright?” in answer, he watched Stiles' features change' eyes growing darker, black veins appearing around his eyes, his canines extending. And yet rather than looking fearsome, he looked terrified.

“I'm starving.” he managed to gasp, and Derek realized he was shaking. Putting up his hands to show he wasn't a threat as he approached, Derek spoke calmly.

“It's okay, Stiles. I'm going to take you to your family, okay?” he said, and Stiles shook his head.

“No, no I can't go outside. There are people out there.” his whole body was shaking violently from the effort to keep himself across the room, and when Derek took another step closer he winced. “Stop coming closer.” he ordered, but Derek ignored him.

“Stiles. Calm down. You're going to be fine. It's because of the bite,” and boy was Derek feeling guilty about that. This was all his fault. “We're going to get you to your siblings. I'm sure they have something on hand for you to drink.” Stiles shook his head, and then seemed to blink.

“At my house, in the basement, there's a freezer. It has blood bags in it.” Stiles managed to say, and then he was pressing his hands to his temples. In a flash he was in front of Derek, no longer terrified but terrifying. “It's all your fault that I became this.” Stiles shouted, and Derek could only stare. What was he talking about? “Parents are supposed to protect their children not turn them into monsters.” Stiles lunged again and Derek managed to dodge even as he figured out what was happening. Stiles was beginning to hallucinate.

“Stiles, it's me. Derek.” he said, but Stiles couldn't hear him, and before he knew it, he was thrown against the wall, pinned there by Stiles, his fangs about to sink into his neck. “Stiles,” he gasped, and then did the only thing he could think of; he changed just slightly, eyes flashing red, hands becoming claws. He watched Stiles focus on him and then let go of him, a look of horror on his face as his face became human again. Derek followed suit, changing his appearance back to normal, and stopped Stiles with a gentle touch.

“I'm sorry.” Stiles gasped, trying to draw away, but Derek shook his head.

“It's fine, Stiles. Come on, we're getting you to your family.” Stiles nodded and waved at his hoodie discarded on the couch.

“Call them. My phone's there.” he said, and then, without any warning, he lost consciousness. With another curse, Derek caught him and put him back on the couch, checking his temperature, pretending not to notice how he wanted his touch to linger, and moved to find Stiles' phone. When he found it, he decided to call the original he'd hated the least.

“Stiles? It's late. I thought you wished to meet with us earlier.”

“I'm not Stiles.” Derek snapped, and realized that probably wasn't the best way to ask for help, so before the original could respond, he spoke again. “It's Elijah, isn't it? It's Derek. Stiles is here. He just showed up a couple of hours ago and fell asleep, but he's sick. He says it isn't fatal but he's hallucinating and it only seems to be getting worse.”

“Tell me where you are.” Elijah instructed, the words barely not a demand, and though Derek ground his teeth, he gave his address. “Do you know what's causing this illness?”

“Werewolf bite.” there was silence then Elijah was calling for Klaus.

“We are on our way.”

Derek hung up and turned back to Stiles who was sitting up again, though barely. When Derek turned, Stiles was blinking up at him in what seemed to be surprise.

“How did I end up here?” he asked, and Derek could only stare.

“You just showed up.” Derek said irritably. “Don't you remember?” Stiles started to shake his head but then froze, eyes widening, his gaze drifting to his shoulder.

“Did you call my siblings?” he asked, sounding almost afraid, and Derek nodded. Stiles looked almost panicked. “Don't tell them how it happened. They can't know who bit me. They can't know -”

“Can't know what, little one?” Klaus asked as he and Elijah let themselves into Derek's loft, and Stiles flinched back.

“Nothing. It's nothing.” he reached for a blanket but it was too late, both his siblings had caught sight of his wound. They were both beside him in an instant, and both seemed completely shocked by what they saw.

“Stiles, you've had this bite for hours. How have you only just started hallucinating?” Elijah asked, completely shocked, and Stiles shook his head.

“Derek helped me.” was all he said, and both vampires looked at the werewolf who stood a few feet away, arms crossed. At their looks, he lifted a brow, but said nothing. Instead, he watched as Klaus bit into his wrist, pressing it to Stiles' mouth.

“Drink, little one.”

“Your blood won't help.” Stiles protested, but Klaus didn't relent, moving so he could hold Stiles in place, his bloodied wrist pressed to his lips.

“Much has happened since you ran, little one. My blood will cure you.” Stiles hesitated and looked up at Derek. Derek just shrugged. What place did he have telling Stiles what would and wouldn't work? But Stiles seemed to take his shrug as good sign because he finally accepted the offered blood, slumping back against his brother. They all watched as the wound slowly healed and Stiles no longer looked sickly, his colour returning to him.

“How did that work?” Stiles finally asked when he was healed, and Klaus grinned.

“I performed the ceremony in order to release my werewolf side.” Stiles' eyes widened and then he laughed.

“A vampire/werewolf hybrid, huh? Neat. Looks like I'm not the only special one anymore.”

“On the contrary, little one.” Klaus said softly, and in a motion uncharacteristic of the temperamental man Derek had witnessed so far, Klaus pressed a kiss to his youngest siblings' forehead. Stiles didn't seem at all phased by the motion and Derek could only watch, unsure of what he should do now. He didn't need to take care of Stiles anymore, but now he couldn't help but notice the surprisingly well toned torso that was still bare.

“Come, we shouldn't impose.” Elijah was saying then, and when Derek glanced over it seemed the eldest original hadn't missed his appraisal. “Thank you for taking care of our brother.” he said, and Derek just nodded, keeping any sharp words to himself. Stiles was shrugging on his hoodie then and waved his brothers ahead, turning to Derek only when they'd left the loft.

“Um, I just wanted to say, well, thanks. For helping me. You didn't have to.” Stiles said awkwardly, fingers messing up his hair in his nervousness, and Derek just rolled his eyes.

“Get lost, Stilinski, before your brothers decide to raid the loft again.” Derek said, but it was softer than he meant it to be, and Stiles grinned in response, giving him a salute before he disappeared. Derek felt the wave of disappointment as Stiles disappeared from sight and cursed again. Shit. He was in trouble.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The figure he saw in the forest in the last chapter was just a precursor to his hallucinations caused by the bite. sorry for any confusion!


	4. Unlikely Pairs

As it turned out, the feelings for Stiles he was having monumental trouble trying to ignore were the least of his problems. In fact, it turned out they were third on a list behind both of Stiles' parents. When Stiles had healed and returned with his siblings, it seemed they had exchanged information and come to the conclusion that their parents were likely closing in on Beacon Hills. They had argued briefly about leaving, but it came down to the fact that even if they were to leave, their parents would end up in Beacon Hills and would not hesitate to use the supernatural beings here to their purpose. Since Stiles was adamantly opposed to this, it was decided that they would stay to protect them. Of course, the next problem was how to defeat their parents. After centuries of running, they were all well aware that they would have fought their parents earlier if they thought themselves capable. The difference now though, was their new possible allies.

The original family met with the werewolf pack after they were assured that Stiles would not somehow regress into his illness (they knew fully well that Niklaus' blood worked but their overprotective nature demanded the vigilance). When they finally met back up with the pack, as always it was Peter who moved to greet Stiles first, but this time Stiles evaded him, placing himself beside Derek in a smooth motion. Though everyone seemed slightly surprised, nobody could ignore the fact that though Peter gave a look of mock hurt, he turned his attentions immediately to Klaus. As everyone else spoke to the originals about their plans, Derek turned to Stiles.

“How are you feeling?” he asked gruffly, the words nearly a demand, and Stiles hid his pleased smile behind a cocky one.

“Good as new, though I can guarantee that I would prefer not to feel that again. That bite was even less fun than getting staked.” Derek went absolutely still at the words and his wolf gave a disapproving growl. Derek shook the thought away and scowled instead, not bothering to reply. Of course, that didn't keep Stiles silent, and the latter then went on to explain their plan to stay in town so his biological parents wouldn't target the pack, and then brought up the fact that the next step was how to figure out how to beat them because if they couldn't, there would be no originals left, and by extension, no vampires. When that was settled, Stiles finally moved away from Derek and back to his jeep that he'd driven over, pulling his backpack out of the back.

“Alright, next thing is personal protection.” Stiles said, and he came back over, pulling out small little bags that looked almost like hex bags.

“What are those?” It was Lydia who asked, curious as ever, and so Stiles passed her hers first.

“Just a bit of protection I tossed together. Hides your scent from someone without one of these, and if someone were to try and do a locator spell on you it wouldn't work. These are particular to you, so don't trade and don't lose them because then they obviously won't work.”

“Particular to us?” Rebekah asked, surprised when Stiles handed one to each of his siblings after each member of the pack.

“Yeah.” he seemed to look almost sheepish then. “I could've made a general one, but this one is safer _because_ it's more particular.” he turned away, clearly flustered by the question mostly because his siblings at least would know how much time it takes to make personal protection spells. Then he was turning to the wolves, no longer flustered but completely serious. “Next topic of importance; if our father comes at you, bite him.” they all frowned at him, and Stiles only met Derek's gaze for a moment but that moment proved Derek was following his train of thought. 

“Why exactly would we want to do that?” It was Jackson who asked, voice dripping with condescension and Kol stepped forward, throwing an arm around his brother and giving the wolf a sharp smile.

“Because, little wolf, a werewolf bite is poisonous to a vampire, and though it won't be fatal to Mikael, it will severely weaken him. Not even our mother can heal him from that.” there was complete silence then, and Stiles rolled his eyes.

“Anyways. If you get the chance, bite him.” then he hesitated, eyes passing over the people gathered around him. Noticing his hesitation, it was Elijah who stepped in.

“Since it is our presence that brings this danger, Stiles was adamant that it be our responsibility to protect you as well, a sentiment we can all agree with. If you had previous plans, we could make sure to stay out of sight while staying near unless you say otherwise. We do not want to cause you any discontent, but we also do not think Stiles is wrong in thinking we would be safer with both a vampire and werewolf together at all times.”

It was Lydia who moved first then, standing and smoothing down her skirt.

“Allison, Erica, and I were planning to go shopping today.” Lydia announced, then her gaze fell on Rebekah. “You're welcome to join us.” Rebekah nodded, but none of them missed how the three pack members looked towards both Derek and Stiles for permission. They got it in the barest of nods before they were off.

“Anybody else have plans?” Stiles asked, and Jackson stood grudgingly.

“I've got lacrosse practice. So do McCall and Lahey.”

“I'm not going today,” Isaac said softly, drawing curious looks from everyone but Derek and Stiles. They both knew why he wouldn't be going anywhere today.

“That would be my cue.” Kol said with a dangerous smirk, and Jackson looked over at Stiles in disbelief. Stiles pretended not to notice, looking everywhere else with a matching smirk on his face, and as usual, it was Scott who tried to make the peace.

“Sounds great, dude. Stiles told us about that compulsion thing? You could probably compel Coach to let you play the practice games with us.”

“I like you already, mate.” Kol said, and Scott just gave an abashed grin. Of course, Jackson looked pissed, but he stayed silent as the three walked away.

“I myself have errands to run, though I won't trouble anyone to come along. I will be back by dinner.” Peter said it with a wink in Stiles' direction, but of course, when he turned to walk away, Klaus and Elijah exchanged glances, and Klaus followed.

“Boyd, any plans for today?” Stiles asked, and Boyd shook his head.

“I'm just going to stay in today. I'll go wherever you guys go.” he said, referring to Derek and Stiles. Stiles nodded, looking then to Isaac.

“You should go, Elijah's very good at being discreet. You won't even notice he's there if that's what you want.” Isaac hesitated but then nodded, looking nervously towards Elijah. Elijah just bowed his head in agreement with what his youngest sibling had said though he couldn't help but wonder just what it was that the little wolf was so quiet about on this day. Isaac just stood, still clearly nervous, and then finally looked up to meet Elijah's gaze.

“Will you give me a ride?” he asked, voice still soft, as if waiting to be turned down, and Elijah nodded.

“Of course.” he waved Isaac forward, and with a final glance back to his friends, Isaac left.

“Do you think that's a good idea?” Derek asked, only one they were out of hearing, and Stiles shrugged.

“If any of my siblings were going to understand, it would be Elijah. Plus, he's the only one actually capable of keeping silent.” Derek nodded and then turned to walk inside his flat. Boyd followed soon after, but Stiles stayed outside for a moment, unable to shake his unease. He knew this was safer, but he could feel the threat approaching and it was making his anxious.

“If you don't come inside you won't have any opinion on the movie.” Derek snapped at him from inside and Stiles managed a smile. At least some things were consistent.

 

Klaus had followed Peter for an hour before the wolf finally recognized his presence, and when he did it was with a shrewd look.

“This is growing tedious. Just say what you want to say and then we can stop this game. I don't need you for protection though I am flattered Stiles thinks so, and so we can be done with that pretence and you can just tell me exactly why you chose to follow me.”

Klaus smirked, not at all oblivious to the older Hale's irritation, and cocked his head as he regarded him.

“See that is exactly why I followed you. Stiles.” Peter cocked a brow and then as a realization hit him, the smirk spread across his features.

“Ah, dear Stiles. And just what about him made you feel the need to follow me?” the question was innocent enough, but they both knew by the glint in Peter's gaze that it was not at all meant as innocent. Of course, Klaus knew this game very well.

“Your affection towards my younger brother could prove troublesome.” Klaus noted, and Peter gave a low laugh.

“On the contrary, I think my affection towards him is very useful.” Peter replied easily, and from where he'd fallen into step, Klaus gave him a shrewd look.

“Oh?” At that, Peter gave a huff, and the playful nature of his words became more serious.

“As I'm sure you're well aware, Stiles is a crucial member to our pack, and that isn't simply because of his charm and wit.” Klaus gave a bland stare and the answering smile was genuine but brief.

“He mentioned he was someone's mate.” Klaus said, and there could be no missing the trepidation in his voice. Peter's eyes widened slightly and then he gave a full bodied laugh.

“Let me assure you of one thing, despite my teasing, I am not that wolf.” he chuckled again. “His appearance is a bit young for my taste.” he noticed the look on Klaus' face and continued. “That, however, is beside the point. I tease Stiles because it amuses me, and if you were to ask him, it doesn't bother him in the slightest. In fact, I think he finds it more amusing than anything. Which, admittedly, makes more sense now that I know of his heritage.” Peter waved an elegant hand, bringing himself back on point. “Am I to assume that while Stiles told you he was a wolf's mate, he did not tell you whose?” Peter asked curiously, and the answering scowl told him that this was indeed the case.

“That is not the only thing he's hiding from us. He was bitten yesterday, and your alpha managed to keep him from hallucinating, but it was only luck that had him calling us as when we arrived he seemed to be begging the wolf not to tell us something.” Peter gave a hum and Klaus glanced over at him again.

“Do you know of this?”

“I had a feeling Stiles may have been bitten, but unlike the rest of my pack, I also knew that as soon as you were made aware of this fact, he would be healed.” Klaus didn't bother to hide his surprise, and Peter's next words were nearly a reprimand. “I may be young in comparison to your lifespan, but I am by no means a new wolf. I recognized your scent the moment I had it.”

“I suppose then that this means you are aware of just who Stiles is mated to?”

Again Peter gave a laugh, though this one had a dark edge Klaus could appreciate.

“I wouldn't exactly put it in those terms, as while the wolf is well aware, the human denies it. Yet another reason for my teasing.”

“Am I not to be told who this wolf is?” Klaus demanded, and Peter rolled his eyes, clearly not affected in the least by the hybrid's temper.

“I find myself surprised that you haven't yet figured it out on your own. It isn't as if it's a secret since neither party involved is capable of keeping distance between them despite how much they might wish for it.” There was silence and then Klaus stopped walking, face contorting in disbelief.

“Your  _alpha_ ?” he demanded, disdain clear in his tone, and while Peter once again rolled his eyes, there was a warning there.

“Do tread carefully. He is my nephew.” Klaus seemed to pause at that, but the scowl didn't leave his features.

“You can hardly call my reaction surprising considering the harsh nature with which your alpha treats my brother.” Klaus snapped, and was surprised then when Peter stilled him with a hand on his arm.

“My nephew has many flaws, but despite those, and despite his resistance, his first actions are  _always_ to protect Stiles. If you doubt his ability to allow for a romantic relationship, that's fine. But do not doubt that he will not protect Stiles first despite his harsh nature.” then he was moving away, flitatious smile back in place. “Now then, since you seem insistent on following me, how about lunch?” Peter asked, and Klaus couldn't help the grudging smile that spread across his features.

“Has this suddenly become a date?” Klaus asked, teasing, and Peter's smirk widened ever so slightly.

“I had no idea you held such an interest in me.” was the reply, but the mischievous sparkle remained in his eyes. “I daresay Stiles might be disappointed if he notices he no longer holds my full attention.” it was a clear taunt, and Klaus couldn't help but raise to it.

“Let him be disappointed them.”

 

Elijah drove in silence with the blonde wolf beside him in the passenger seat looking out the window. Isaac had directed him to the cemetery and Elijah had followed the directions without question, but now that they pulled through the gates to the cemetery, he could not deny he felt curious as to the nature of the boy's visit. As soon as he pulled to a stop Isaac was getting out, but what surprised Elijah was that once again he hesitated.

“You don't have to wait in the car.” Isaac said suddenly, and Elijah nodded, following him from the car. When he knew for sure that Elijah was following him, he sighed again. “I know that Stiles made it sound like I didn't want company and wouldn't appreciate questions, but I don't actually mind since you don't seem likely to joke about it.” he made it clear to Elijah just why Stiles had allowed his other siblings to leave without question and felt gratified that his youngest sibling trusted him enough to deal with what was obviously a delicate matter.

“I won't deny my curiosity,” Elijah finally replied, watching carefully for the wolf's reactions. He didn't want to offend or have his invitation revoked. He was quite curious about the boy. “But I do not wish to pry in matters that are not mine to pry.” he watched the smile spread across Isaac's face before he shook his head. It was then that Elijah realized they'd stopped in front of two gravestones, and Isaac sighed.

“These were my parents.” Isaac said, but Elijah was surprised by the tone; he didn't sound sad, or regretful, just quiet. “My mom died a long time ago. My dad fairly recently all things considered. Right after I was turned.”

“Do you miss him?” Elijah asked, frowning, and Isaac snorted.

“No.” there was silence and Elijah watched the tension enter the youth's shoulders. “He was abusive.” was all Isaac said, but by the way the boy carried himself, it was not hard to deduce that the boy meant both physically and mentally.

“If you do not miss them, why do you come here?” Elijah asked then, and Isaac shook his head.

“Because I miss the idea of them. It's why I live with Derek. I feel like I have something bigger than myself, and so does he. It's why he offered me the bite.” he shrugged. “But every kid wants a family; they want the mom who hugs them and the dad who reads them bedtime stories.” he shrugged again.

“Why do you come on this day?”

“Because it's the day my brother left.” Elijah's eyebrows winged up in surprise having expected it to be the anniversary of a death, but this news was surprising. “He's the only one not here because I guess he's still alive somewhere. But it feels like he should be here too. So I visit today, and I miss them all at once.” They stayed silent and remained there for another hour before Elijah watched Isaac stand tall and turn away from the graves. “Alright. I'm done here. I usually go for ice cream after.” he said with an awkward shrug, and Elijah smiled.

“I do enjoy that particular dessert.” he supplied, and the awkwardness seemed to leave the youth, a relaxed smile replacing it.

“Awesome. I'll give you directions.”

***

Stiles was restless as he sat in the living room with Derek and Boyd. The longer everyone was gone, the more his uneasiness grew, until he found himself on his feet and leaving the room. He was so lost in thought that he didn't even notice he was followed until Derek spoke.

“Is your magic telling you something?” he asked gruffly, and Stiles reeled around, a hand slapping to his chest. Derek nearly smirked at the familiar action, but he kept his expression in its usual frown. Stiles just shot him a glare.

“Not exactly. It's just years of instinct.” he muttered, but there was something about the words that struck Derek as odd.

“You're scared.” Stiles' gaze snapped to his and for a moment Derek saw pain unlike he'd ever seen before. Then Stiles' eyes shuttered and all Derek could see was a ghost of what he'd previously seen.

“Children tend to be scared when the ones who created them wish to destroy them.” It was the first time that Stiles' words alluded to his age; to the lengthy years that this chase had crossed.

“Do you think we'll be able to stop them?” Derek asked, and Stiles shrugged.

“I honestly don't know. I hope. But we've been running from them for so long; it's hard to say for sure. I can't remember if we were running because we actually couldn't win, or because we didn't know any other way.” Stiles frowned at the thought. “So I have hope that we can win. But I don't have any specific answers.”

“We need a plan then.” Derek said, and Stiles looked up at him in surprise.

“A plan?” Stiles had made a lot of the plans Derek realized then, and it was not without grudging respect that Derek recognized this. He nodded and Stiles was nodding slowly, the determination that Derek recognized coming back into his features. “Right. Boyd!” Stiles was calling out and soon the beta appeared. “We're going to make a plan.”

 

 


	5. Tricks and Traps

Rebekah wasn't nervous, per say, but as she followed the three female pack members through the mall, she realized she hadn't spent time in an all female group in a very long time. She spent so much time with her brothers that she'd nearly forgotten what it was like to spend time with people outside of that, and she found herself not nervous of course, but perhaps wary.

“Rebekah?” she turned her head to look at Lydia who walked beside her, meeting the expectant gaze and the raised eyebrows.

“Sorry, what did you say?” she asked, trying to be polite, but she just couldn't fathom why they'd asked her along. As if reading her thoughts, Lydia rolled her eyes.

“You've clearly spent too much time around your brothers.” Erica said from behind her, and Rebekah looked back warily.

“Why would you say that?”

“Because you look nervous to be around us.” Allison said gently, softening the words with a smile. Rebekah just frowned.

“Don't look at us like that.” Lydia admonished. “It looks just like Stiles, by the way. All we're saying is that you need a little more girl time. Come on. That's what shopping's for. We walk, we talk about clothes and complain about people that have annoyed us and the hideous outfit the woman at the front desk was wearing.” she gave a wicked smile. “Doesn't it sound fun?”

Rebekah allowed herself a smile then, because how could she deny that it did indeed sound like something she could enjoy.

“Well, my brother's certainly have done a good job at annoying me throughout my lifetime. Niklaus had a habit of daggering us when something he disagreed with happened – I don't think I dated a single man that he did not kill in one way or another.” she muttered, and there were impressed expressions all around.

“My mom tried to kill Scott.” Allison provided, “and then Derek ended up biting her to protect him and she killed herself instead of turning into a wolf.”

“I don't have any bad boyfriend stories, but I do have good ones. Like that time Boyd and I decided to try-” Lydia put up a hand, clearly having decided the content of that conversation was too much at the present time.

“My boyfriend moved across the world after I saved him from being a hideous giant lizard thing.” Rebekah was staring in surprise, unsure how to feel about being given all of this information. Weren't they afraid that she would use it against them? As if recognizing her look, Erica stepped forward, hooking an arm through Rebekah's.

“Wanna hear a cool story about my batman?” she asked, and when Rebekah looked confused, Allison clued her in.

“She means Stiles.” Rebekah nodded, feeling a little overwhelmed, but nodded at Erica, listening to the story of how Stiles had saved both her and Boyd from being tortured, and felt a warmth in her chest. She realized that she could actually trust these people despite her usual hesitation, because Stiles trusted them with his life, and in return they trusted him with their own.

“I can tell you a story of when he was little,” Rebekah said then, voice soft, almost careful, but all three girls gave her bright smiles. “Before we were vampires. He was just as much trouble then as he is now.” as the girls listened to her every word, commenting and laughing along with her, Rebekah finally relaxed. She felt safe here now, and she felt as if she belonged. When she caught the smug look in Lydia's gaze, she wondered if that had been the purpose of this trip all along, to give her a place to belong alongside her brothers.

 

***

 

 

By the time everyone returned to Derek's loft, Stiles, Boyd, and Derek were leaning over multiple maps. Stiles had a red marker in his hand, the end of it in his mouth as he thought. It was Peter and Klaus who arrived first, and Peter moved right over, him and Klaus both leaning in on opposite sides of Stiles.

“What's this, little one?” Klaus asked, and Stiles rolled his eyes but answered.

“We're making a plan.” was all he said, and Peter and Klaus exchanged glances. Next to enter was Jackson, Kol, and Scott, and Scott was laughing with Kol while Jackson seemed to be scowling. Stiles looked up then, and caught Jackson's scowl. Frowning now, his eyes swept over Scott and Kol joking in a friendly manner, and he zipped over, hooking an arm over Jackson's shoulder.

“Come on. I need your opinion on something.” he said, pulling Jackson after him, and was gratified by the scowl becoming curiosity. Jackson was still so self conscious. He pulled him to the map, drawing him into a debate about the tactical advantage of different spots, and looked up to see Kol still joking with Scott but his attention was clearly on the wolf beside him. Amused, Stiles caught his eye and lifted a brow. Kol just shot him a bland stare, drawing a smile from Stiles before the youngest original turned his attention back to the maps. Elijah and Isaac returned next, and Stiles was gratified to see Isaac deep in conversation with his brother, no longer quiet as he'd been that morning. He'd had an idea that something similar could happen, and it made him happy. When the girls finally arrived, Stiles had marked four more places in red, Derek had marked three in green, and Boyd had drawn possible perimeters in Yellow highlighter.

“What's this, Stiles?” Allison asked, her attention drawn away from the conversation with the other girls first and towards the map. As a huntress, her tactical mind had already begun forming ideas based on what she was seeing, and Stiles grinned at her.

“We're making plans.” when everyone had quieted down, Stiles, Derek, and Boyd explained what they'd done with the maps. Stiles did most of the talking, Derek interjecting with missing details, and Boyd prompting both of them back on track with small reminders of just what they were supposed to be talking about, and when they finished there was an initial silence so Stiles continued.

“The first trap is at the electrical plant. I've already been by, infusing stuff with magic. If you can just get the electrical current flowing in a smooth circle around the building, then that will contain them until the rest of us can get there. Details are on the map.” he waved a map before moving on. “Next is the water plant. Again, I've been by. My magic is all over that place.” the pack was obviously surprised that he'd managed to get his magic everywhere, but they didn't comment. “What you need to do there is pretty much the same thing. The water has to flow in a perfect circle around the building. There are natural drainpipes, and with this-” he reached across the table to the small leather bag sitting on another map and hefting it. “This will open up the small dip in the ground to contain the water. The trick will be getting the water from the plant to the markings, but again, details.” and he waved another map. “The third is the forest, and that's actually the easiest because we spend most of our time there, so that traps been set up for ages.” he didn't say anything more, though they all noticed the look Derek shot him, and it was Allison who spoke first.

“You think we can trick them into a trap?” Allison asked, leaning over the map, and Stiles shrugged.

“I think we can trick them into one of many we've set up. They're very likely to spot some of them, but they can't expect all of them and are more than likely to fall into one in their attempt to escape another.” she nodded and tapped one of the places marked on the map.

“We should try and block off access to here.” she said, and Stiles was nodding vigorously as she spoke, carefully marking it off as she explained why. “My dad says there are legends of an ancient power hidden under that building. If your mom's a witch, we don't want her getting anywhere near that.” Stiles grinned at her, watching the gratified smile fill her features at having been acknowledged before she sat back down. When it was marked off, Stiles moved on.

“Right then. So we'll be in three groups. Spread equidistance apart; we need to be able to get to each other quickly so that whoever's trap they fall into isn't left alone to deal with our parents. Rebekah and Niklaus, Kol and Elijah, and myself will be the three vampire groups.” before his siblings could protest, he put up a hand for silence.

“I may be the youngest, but we all know that I am more than capable of taking care of myself. The reason I have put myself alone is because I have my magic which none of you have. If you want to argue with me, feel free to try and explain why you don't think I'm capable of defending myself for only as long as it takes for the rest of you to get to me.” he was met by grudging silence and his smile became light again. “Great. Next is the wolves. Erica, Boyd, and Peter, you're going with Nik and Bekah. Jackson, Isaac, and Allison, you're with Elijah and Kol. Derek, Scott, and Lydia are with me.”

“Are you sure, Stiles?” It was Lydia who asked, and Stiles gave her a soft smile.

“I'm sure.” she just nodded, not arguing. The traps having already been explained, Stiles then assigned them each the trap they were to take care of.

“Nik, you guys will be the electrical trap.” there were nods, and he passed them a close up map of that area, the assigned group moving to decide which marked positions they would be best at. “Elijah, you guys are the water plant.” he passed them a map as well. “We're the forest.” Derek and he had discussed it at length earlier, and they'd decided they would be best in the forest. Not only would they have Derek's lifelong knowledge as an advantage, but they would also have Stiles innate connection with the earth on their side. Of course, they were aware that Esther had that advantage as well, but between her and Mikael, Stiles had both of their abilities, and the wolves were his back up. Stiles had chosen Lydia for their group not only because he felt she was safest with him and the alpha as protection, but also because he seemed to know more about her ability than she did; it was why Lydia hadn't questioned him when he'd said he was sure he wanted her on his team. What Stiles didn't tell anyone was that he was almost certain that his parents would come through the forest where he would be stationed. He knew if he did, he would get arguments from his siblings that he should be placed somewhere else, but after his planning with Derek and Boyd, Stiles was almost certain it would be best if his parents met him first. Despite everything, he was their baby; the youngest son, and the one closest to living with his witch powers intact. It would draw empathy from his mother, and he knew his father had hesitated once before with Elijah; he hoped that seeing him without his siblings, when his parents would have known as well as his siblings had that he had run alone, his father too would hesitate to harm him. When everyone agreed they were ready, he clapped his hands together, excited energy building on his skin.

“Great. Next thing on the agenda is this.” from under the table, he pulled out fourteen wooden posts, and handed one out to everyone before pointing to another map. “These need to be put on these spots. Once the last one is in place, which will be mine, the magic attached to them all with create a sort of alarm system.” at the looks he was getting, he grinned. “We'll all know when Esther and Mikael show up.”

“How?” it was Kol who asked, and Stiles didn't bother hiding how pleased he was with this particular bit of magic.

“Having you each put in the post yourselves, you'll be attached to the magic of the circle, and so we'll each hear something of a whisper – just enough for us to know they're here without any doubt. When you hear it, your only job will be to get to your position and either get them in your trap, or wait for the signal that says someone else has them.”

“What will the signal be?” Erica asked, and Stiles frowned.

“I haven't decided yet. I'm still working on that. It has to be something that can't be stopped by either Esther or Mikael, but I don't want it relying on someone setting it off since the people at that trap might be busy.”

“Could you add to the magic of your traps?” Jackson asked, and Stiles looked at him. “You said they aren't trapped till the circle's are complete – what if the magic that's released when the circle closes can somehow give off a flare or something.” Stiles gaped at him, and then was flashing across the room to where Jackson had settled to look over his own part in the plan, giving him a chaste kiss.

“I'm officially in love. I never even thought of that.” Stiles crowed even as Jackson just gaped at him in complete shock. They weren't used to this Stiles who showed such intimate affection so easily. Before Jackson could properly react though Stiles was back across the room, looking over the maps for only a brief second before he was at the door. “I'll be back soon!” he called out before disappearing, and Kol reacted first, laughing as he moved to clap Jackson on the shoulder.

“Alright there, little wolf?” he asked, and Jackson turned his gaze on him. “If it will soothe your nerves, my brother has always been affectionate as such. It would just seem that he adjusted for the comfort of you wolves.” the tips of Jackson's ears went bright red but he didn't pull away from Kol, instead he seemed to shift ever so slightly closer as his gaze landed on Derek. Derek was glaring holes into the door and Peter scoffed.

“Come now, nephew. I think we should go about placing the perimeter markers as Stiles asked. We wouldn't want him thinking we weren't capable of action without him.” Derek just shot his uncle a glare before grabbing up the large wooden stake and storming towards the door.

“Is he always that brooding?” Rebekah asked, surprised that her brother loved such a person; Niklaus had wasted no time informing his siblings just who Stiles' mate was.

“Yup.” the pack all chimed, and the originals cast them a bemused glance as they too headed for the door.

“We think it's just his way of pretending nothing affects him.” Isaac said, and Erica nodded in agreement.

“That and if he admits he has feelings, he'll have to admit his feelings for my batman.” Lydia rolled his eyes.

“He'd be doing a lot more than admitting feelings.” Lydia said with a knowing smile, and Allison burst out laughing.

“I would please ask you to refrain from taking that line of thought any further.” Elijah asked softly, and was granted grins from the whole pack.

“You must admit curiosity when it comes to just how our alpha would show his love for our dear Stiles.” Peter said then, smirking, and Klaus was there in an instant, hand covering the wolf's mouth.

“I think not.” he said, and when they caught the wicked glint in Peter's eyes, everyone left as fast as they could, not wanting to see how this scene between the original and the elder Hale could end.

 

When Stiles returned to Derek's home, he was exhausted, the magic having physically drained him, but he saw that the perimeter marker that he had to place was the only one left and immediately moved towards it.

“Stiles.” he looked over in surprise to see the whole pack and his siblings, blinking twice to focus his gaze.

“What's everybody still doing here?” he asked, confused, and was met by frowns.

“We were waiting for you to return. Did the spells go as planned?” Rebekah asked, watching her youngest brother carefully, and again Stiles blinked to focus before nodding.

“Yeah. Everything is set. Now I just gotta do this and we'll be all good.” he reached for the post but when he turned to the door, Boyd and Isaac were there.

“You can't leave, Stiles.” Isaac said, worry clear on his features. “You need to sleep.”

“The spell can wait till morning.” Boyd agreed. “Derek and Elijah already planned a schedule for everyone to keep watch while you sleep so that we won't loose our lead.” Boyd agreed, and Stiles just frowned at them.

“I'm fine. I'll sleep when I get back. I'm a vampire after all. I'm perfectly capable of making it there and back.” the wooden post was plucked from his grasp before he could move though and he spun a glare on Kol. “This isn't funny.” he snapped, “If I don't get this done now, something could be shifted and if anyone else touches the markers before the circle is complete it will ruin the magic.” that seemed to have everyone pausing and Stiles took the chance to snatch the giant stake back. “If you're all so worried why don't one of you just come with me instead of bitching at me and trying to ruin everything?” there was a moment of silence and then Jackson was huffing out a breath.

“I'd offer to go but I don't really need you molesting me again.” he jabbed innocently, and everyone watched Stiles relax, giving a rueful smile.

“Sorry about that. Sometimes I forget myself.”

“That's what I told him, brother.” Kol said brightly, moving back towards Jackson, standing behind him only to wrap his arms around his waist, lips ghosting along his throat. “Of course, I think he only was bothered by your kiss because he wanted one from your brother.” Jackson was beat red now and none of them missed how Jackson tried to tug away but Kol kept him still. Stiles just rolled his eyes.

“Kol, let go before he gives himself an aneurism. He'll be no fun to torture if he's dead.” Kol gave a heady sigh before releasing Jackson who skittered across the room to settle down in the middle of the pack, cheeks burning. “Now is somebody coming or can I go?” he asked, tense, and it was Isaac who stepped forward.

“I'll come with you. Peter is creeping me out with all his leering at your brother.” Isaac said blandly, and Stiles burst out laughing, relaxing at the easy smile on Isaac's face. He grabbed Isaac and they both disappeared from sight.

 

When they arrived at his spot in the circle, Isaac stepped back to watch Stiles finish the job, jabbing the stake into the ground. He felt the thrum of power as it activated, and leapt forward to catch Stiles when he swayed.

“You really need to sleep, Stiles.” he said, worried, and Stiles sighed.

“I know. There's just so much going on.” Isaac frowned, but he understood.

“Derek's beginning to realize what you are to him.” Isaac said then, and Stiles seemed to wince.

“Yeah, I figured that would happen since I came to him hallucinating in a near death experience.” at the wide eyed worry he was receiving, he gave a tired smile. “Werewolf bites are lethal remember? When I jumped between Kol and Derek he did actually kind of bite me. But you can't tell anybody. Nobody knows it was him and my siblings would probably tear him limb from limb.” Isaac seemed to pale at that and nodded his head.

“Got it.” Stiles gave a wan smile.

“Don't worry. I don't plan on letting anything happen to any of you. Even creepy uncle Peter.” Isaac rolled his eyes at that.

“I don't think your family plans on hurting us either, Stiles.” Isaac said then, with half a shrug, but there was a flush to his cheeks.

“Oh my god.” Stiles muttered, but it was fond. “Are all of you falling for each other?” the flush increased and Stiles laughed again. “Well, in that case, I fully approve of Elijah, but will dagger him for a decade if he hurts you.” Isaac rolled his eyes again but smiled. He was grateful for the support.

“But I really don't think Derek's against the whole you thing.” Isaac said again, and Stiles raised a brow. “He was really antsy when we were all waiting for you to come back. He kept eyeing the door.”

“While I find that comforting, I wouldn't hold your breath.”

“Speaking of – you smell different.” Isaac noted as they headed back, and Stiles froze. He'd forgotten to change his scent back to human. Noticing Stiles' reaction, Isaac smiled at him. “It's a good different.” he assured. “More,” he paused, thinking. “You.” Stiles relaxed and once again grabbed Isaac, appearing outside the Hale house once more.

“Thanks.”

 


	6. Raid

A week passed with nothing happening, and the residents of Beacon Hills as well as its guests were growing restless.

“I thought they were close.” Klaus snapped, lounging in an armchair, and Peter rolled his eyes, focus never leaving his book.

“Shouldn't you be glad that you aren't currently fighting for your life?” Peter asked drily, and Klaus snarled.

“I feel caged.” he snarled, and at that Peter set his book down, gaze flashing blue as he looked over at the other man.

“Pent up energy?” he asked mildly, expression one of innocent curiosity, but there was a hungry glint to his eyes that belied the innocence. Suddenly Klaus was across the room, pushing Peter back in his chair.

“How would you propose relieving said energy?” Klaus murmured, and the wolfish grin that spread across his features was something Peter could appreciate as he yanked the other man down onto his lap, grinding up into him and bringing his lips to his throat, biting before soothing with his tongue.

“I certainly have a few ideas.”

 

***

 

Elijah found Isaac hurrying out of the loft with his face pale and immediately felt a rush of worry. The feeling was new, but he found he rather enjoyed it.

“Isaac, are you alright?” he asked, and as he approached he realized the wolf looked nearly ill.

“You don't want to go in there.” Isaac said instead, grimacing. When Elijah looked past him and towards the loft in surprise, the grimace grew. “Peter and Klaus.” was all he said, and it took Elijah a moment before he resisted the urge to sigh at his brothers antics and instead turned away from the loft again.

“Perhaps you would accompany me then on a walk instead. I've been listening to Stiles brag about the forest here for hours now it seems. I meant to explore them at some point and now seems as good a time as any.” Isaac smiled in relief, clearly glad to have anything to do other than go back inside.

“Sounds great. Let's go. We can start from the preserve.”

 

***

 

Jackson was walking down main street trying to decide what to have for lunch when a familiar whoosh of air announced the presence of an original, and he wasn't in the least bit surprised by the voice that followed it.

“Hello, little wolf. What are we up to today?”

“Going for lunch.” Jackson said before he realized that Kol had said 'we', and he felt the tips of his ears burn.

“Sounds grand. Where are we headed then? You know, I quite enjoy pizza. Elijah will go on about how unhealthy and disgusting it is, but I think it was a delicious invention. Certainly much better than some of that filth people call 'fine dining'.” Kol began easily, and Jackson just shook his head. He could see where Stiles got the inability to shut his mouth from. As if reading his thoughts, Kol grinned, hooking an arm around Jackson, a hand on his hip as he leaned in, lips by Jackson's ear. “But come now, I'd much rather hear about you.” Jackson tugged away, and Kol gave a mock pout. “You're so unkind to me, little wolf.” he teased, voice taking a tone of mock hurt. Jackson just rolled his eyes but ducked into a pizza shop.

“Best pizza in Beacon Hills.” he grumbled to the original when he headed towards the counter, and the original blinked once before shooting the werewolf a beaming grin.

“I knew you secretly loved me.” Jackson's ears tipped bright pink again, but he didn't argue, and Kol's grin didn't fade throughout the meal.

 

***

 

Stiles was pacing. He knew that Derek was growing increasingly agitated by his movements but he couldn't help it. Much like he expected, when Derek finally snapped, he found himself slammed into a wall.

“Stop. Pacing.” Derek ordered, and though Stiles rolled his eyes, he relaxed into the contact.

“I can't help it. There are two thousand and some odd year old creatures after us just waiting for a chance to tear my heart from my chest – or stake me with a stake that will having me turning to ash. So you can't exactly blame me for being on edge.” his voice grew more heated as he went but Derek just looked at him, unimpressed.

“Stiles. You're a thousand and some odd year old creature too.”

Stiles made an indignant noise and Derek smirked.

“Rude. I'll have you know I am still an 18 year old boy at heart. Thank you very much.” Derek snorted, rolling his eyes.

“Whatever Stiles. Doesn't change the facts.” Stiles glared, but the look just seemed to amuse Derek further, and finally Stiles huffed out a breath.

“As much as I enjoy these moments where you throw me into walls, I am beginning to wonder how long you're planning on keeping me here.” Derek released him as if he'd been burned and Stiles felt himself wince at the action. Despite the beta's reassurance the week before, Derek was still as hot and cold with him as ever. When Derek turned away, Stiles slumped against the wall, unsure of what to do. He knew there was always the possibility of just jumping Derek and seeing what his reaction was, but the thought had him grimacing. Yeah, that was the best option if he wanted his throat torn out. He glared for a moment at the back of Derek's head before zipping across the room and sprawling on the couch.

“If you don't want me pacing. Entertain me.” Derek gave him a look that was near the threat of violence, and Stiles grinned. Right, he'd forgotten how much he enjoyed teasing Derek. Usually he had Peter's help, but with the older wolf being busy with Niklaus presumably at the hotel where Derek had banished them too until they were decent – and boy did he ever not want to think about that – he was on his own.

“I'm not here for your entertainment, Stiles.” Stiles pouted, throwing his head back.

“Yeah but I'm bored. And on edge. And itching for something to do.”

“Where's your sister?” Derek asked, since he knew as well as Stiles did that his brothers' were busy with wolves.

“With Allison and Lydia.” he scowled. “I think they've got a three way thing going now. Which freaks me out. Why are all my siblings pairing off with wolves?” Derek frowned.

“But Allison and Scott-” Derek began and Stiles let out a laugh.

“Yeah, they're still soulmates or whatever. But Allison and Lydia sort of had a thing when Scott and her were on break and they have this sort of agreement that the girls can continue it when they want.” he grinned then. “It's not like it's a hardship for him to imagine the two of them together.” his grin grew even sharper. “I heard he's even been allowed to watch.” Derek's face was the picture of discomfort and it took a lot of effort for Stiles not to cackle. “So anyways. I'm fairly sure they've got a thing going and I don't know about you, dude, but I don't really want to get in their way. They'd probably poison me for interrupting them. Or stake me. You know.” Derek was watching him now with a look he couldn't decipher, and Stiles shifted, turning his gaze away. He was hungry, he decided, and without a moment's notice he'd flashed to the kitchen, grabbing one of the blood bags kept in the freezer. He emptied it into a mug and then heated it up. It wasn't perfect, but it did the job. He turned to see Derek watching him and would've flushed if he didn't have perfect control over his reactions. So of course, his cheeks had gone pink and Derek just continued staring.

“Does it taste better warm?” Derek asked, and Stiles felt his eyes widen in surprise.

“Not really.” he finally replied, and Derek's expression was a clear question. “Sometimes I just like a warm beverage.” he said, and though Derek's expression didn't change, he figured that was answer enough. He made to move past him, back to the couch, but as soon as his back was turned, Derek asked the next question.

“When was the last time you drank from a person?” Stiles went still, turning back around slowly, but again he couldn't read Derek's expression.

“Why?” Derek shrugged and Stiles knew he was lying – he'd always known just the way the wolves had; he could hear their heartbeats. Stiles just stared at him, emptying his mug and then washing it out. He knew better than to leave the smell of blood lingering. When he was done, he left the apartment without a word and ignored what sounded very much like Derek calling for him to wait.

 

Rebekah, Allison, and Lydia were the first to find Derek alone, pacing, and the two pack member exchanged looks. Rebekah's reaction of course, was to wonder where her brother was.

“Where's Stiles?” she asked, and Derek's glare spoke a thousand words. It was Lydia who reacted first, rolling her eyes.

“What did you do?” she asked, and the scowl darkened.

“Nothing.” she lifted a perfect brow and the disbelief was mirrored on the faces of her two companions. He glared back until he finally caved and now he looked almost embarrassed. “I asked a stupid question.” he snapped, and the girls once again exchanged a glance.

“You asked when he last fed from a human, didn't you?” Allison asked with a sigh, and Derek seemed to almost shrink under their disproval.

“That was rude. Stiles has done nothing but protect the lot of you. Even going so far as to allow himself to be tortured.” Rebekah said, voice soft, and all eyes snapped to her. “You don't think we dragged the truth out of him? We know everything that's happened here since he decided to stay, and we know how much he's done for you which frankly I find quite sweet. Stiles always did have a soft heart, he can't help but help those in need. I'm not quite sure where he got that from seeing as he's selfless while the rest of us are quite self centred.” the adoration in her eyes switched to irritation as her gaze pinned Derek in place. “So the fact that you would be quite so very rude when he does more for you than the rest-” she took in a sharp breath, a suddenly dangerous smile spreading across her face. “You would do well to tread carefully.” Derek's glare came back at the threat, his eyes flashing red.

“I don't think-”

“If I were you, my dear nephew, I wouldn't finish that sentence.” Peter said with a smile as he swept into the room, Klaus at his side. Derek wrinkled his nose and gained a wolfish grin from the hybrid, a smirk from his uncle.

“Peter-” he growled, but then Lydia was drawing all the attention to herself.

“I think we have more important things to do than argue about this.” she said evenly, but her tone left no room for discussion. She pulled out her phone then, and soon everyone but Allison could hear Stiles' voice filter through the mobile.

“Hey Lydia. Guess you're at the loft?” he said as greeting, and she confirmed his statement.

“I am. Apparently you were offended and left.” Stiles let out sharp laugh.

“Something like that.”

“Will you come back now?” she asked, and there was a moment of silence.

“Nah. You guys don't need me there right now. I'm taking some me time.”

“Stiles-”

“Lydia, come on. You know you can't convince me to come back. Tell the sourwolf he's lucky it was me and not my siblings, but even I have my limit of how much I'll take.” all eyes turned to Derek and he scowled at the phone in Lydia's hand. “Oh, and tell him it's been pretty much since blood bags were invented.” the eyes watching Derek darkened but Stiles was still talking. “I actually hear Kol and Jackson up ahead, so I'm going to hang out with them for a bit. Oh, and I don't expect an apology. I'll see you later.” he hung up and all eyes turned back to Derek. Klaus looked nearly murderous, but he didn't move when Peter placed a hand on his back. Klaus' gaze flickered to Peter's face before he leaned back, a clear sign that he wouldn't do anything rash, and Peter turned his gaze back on his nephew.

“I think you need to apologize to him.” he said, and Derek glared at his uncle.

“He's right.” Allison said from where she stood beside Rebekah. “Stiles doesn't expect an apology, but you'd get a lot farther if you gave one.”

“Stiles will forgive you.” Lydia put in. “In fact, he probably already has, but he's hurt because you've doubted him ever since he told us about his heritage. Considering it was your uncle who dragged us all into this mess in the first place, you have no right to judge.”

“I wasn't the one who turned him into a power hungry alpha.” Derek said through gritted teeth, and he was met with rolled eyes.

“I would argue that. If you'd returned with Laura as you should have, then I would never have become the alpha in the first place. Regardless of that fact, you didn't exactly harbour good feelings with your betas. Namely Scott.”

“And you weren't around when he bit me. Or kidnapped Stiles to get to Scott.” Peter gave an innocent shrug when Klaus shot him a look and it had Klaus smirking. Rebekah made a face and Allison gave her a far too innocent smile.

“This is still pointing to it being Peter's fault.” he snapped out, and was met by bland stares.

“Go apologize.” and it wasn't a question but an order from the redhead. “Jackson and Kol are at the pizzeria on Main so Stiles is there too. And don't come back till you've apologized.” Derek stared in disbelief before he stormed towards the door, grabbing his coat on the way, cursing them all in his mind. Before he could reach the door though, he heard a click, and in a second he was turning back and running, pushing Allison onto the couch with Lydia and overturning it so they were tumbling onto the ground behind it.

“Get down!” he roared, and even as the girls hit the floor the door exploded inward. Derek was moving instantly, leaping over the couch to keep the girls down and pushing them towards the side exit even as smoke filled the room. He heard the human heartbeats now as they poured into the room, and Derek looked over at his uncle, giving a nod before he began to strip down, shifting into a wolf. He was giant – with black fur that bristled at the attack and eyes that flashed red. His uncle was a russet wolf beside him, eyes blue and he looked at Derek, cocking his head and showing his teeth. Derek's head bobbed, and he nudged the two humans towards the back exit. Then, he threw back his head and howled.

 

Stiles was sitting in the pizzeria with Kol and Jackson, head thrown back in laughter when he heard the howl. He went immediately still, looking at Jackson whose eyes had flashed blue, skin pale.

“That was-”

“Derek.” Stiles confirmed, and he was immediately on his feet. “He's at the loft with Klaus, Peter, Rebekah, Allison and Lydia.” he paled at the last two names and then looked at Kol. “We have to go.” then he heard Lydia scream, the supersonic tones of her banshee powers ringing in his ears and he fell into a panic. “We have to go now.” and he was off.

 

The second after Derek howled he tasted the difference in the air, and felt alarm as both vampires howled in pain. He growled, tasting the air again, and realized he was tasting an herb, one he recognized. Vervain. He growled at Peter, nodding towards the vampires and then towards the girls as a sign to get them out as well, and then turned his attention on the humans who'd entered his loft. This was the second time his space had been invaded, and he was furious. With a loud growl, he leapt forward, over the couch, barreling into the first human. He recognized them instantly as a hunter by their dress and weapons, and without hesitation he bit down on the man's throat, tearing it out. Gunshots rang out but he darted to the side, taking cover in the side of the room while his eyes scanned through the clouds of dust and vervain created by the bomb to count the humans. There was nearly thirty, and it infuriated him. How dare they enter his domain. He heard Peter growl and sprinted towards his uncle, tackling a group of 3 hunters who'd tried to corner him, and then barked an order for him to keep moving even as he twisted away from an attack, butting his head against Rebekah, pushing her forwards. The girls immediately rushed back, taking an arm each and pulling her out while she groaned in pain, nearly limp, and watched Peter nudge Klaus towards the exit. He turned his attention back towards the humans, and heard the click of more shots being fired. He could see that they weren't shooting bullets but syringes, and seeing the targets were the vampires, he could only guess they were vervain. Without even a thought, he threw himself in the way, feeling the twinge of pain as the syringes hit his skin, but vervain wasn't harmful to wolves, and he just let out a low, furious growl. They'd finally made it through the door and Derek backed up towards it, growling and snapping at whoever approached. He knew once the vampires were outside they'd be able to recover and run, but his relief that they were out of harms way changed to fear when he heard something new. Lydia screamed and the sound echoed through his mind. He howled in answer and this time he heard his pack reply; Jackson was closest, Isaac, Boyd, Erica, and Scott not much farther behind. He knew with them meant Kol, Stiles, and Elijah, but in the moment that wasn't a comfort. He heard the zing of something electric and snarled, but they'd cornered him, and he couldn't dodge the ends of the tazer when they caught in his fur. The voltage was one that was meant for one such as himself, and he felt his muscles tense with the current and go limp when it finally stopped. He tried to move, to defend himself, but the next dart to hit his skin was used to knock him unconscious.

 

Though it took them only minutes to arrive, when Stiles, Kol, and Jackson arrived at the loft, the people they'd rushed to help were gone. All that was left was a cloud of dust and vervain which Stiles forced out of the loft with a burst of wind sparking from his fingertips, and a handful of hunters. Without even looking at each other, Stiles and Kol were off, working together in harmony as if they'd never spent anytime apart. Stiles moved first, darting into the midst of the hunters. He grabbed the first one's gun and shot the second one with it, kicking the first one towards Kol. Kol caught him as if he'd been waiting, and with barely a flick of his wrist the human dropped, neck snapped, head turned all the way around. The hunters had caught on to who they were facing and immediately tried to form a defence, but the brothers wouldn't allow it. The sound of the electrical current being turned on caught Stiles' attention, and when the ends of the tazer flew through the air towards him, he caught the strings right above the charged ends, and yanked the man holding it towards him. The tazer flew across the room and Stiles' hand pierced through the kevlar vest and directly into the man's chest. He grabbed his heart and yanked, throwing it at the man who came at Stiles next. The man gagged in disgust but the distraction was all Kol needed to grab him. He too reached through the vest, but rather than take the heart, he took the spine.

The shot of vervain caught Stiles in the thigh and he let out a hiss of pain, pulling it out and tossing it so it went through the man's protective eyewear and lodged itself in the man's brain. He dropped with a mangled scream. Kol moved next, lashing out at a hunter trying to sneak up on his occupied brother and knocking him down with a kick to the thigh, grinning savagely as the bone snapped easily in two. The man screamed and Stiles glanced back to see Kol leaving the man on the ground while he turned his attentions to another hunter. The one on the ground wasn't going to die – his broken leg was just extremely painful – and Stiles grinned. They'd keep him to interrogate. Though he'd only turned his attention for a moment, he felt the sting of a stake entering his chest, and he snarled, grabbing the wood and pulling it out before stabbing the man with it, running it up through the man's jaw and through his skull.

“A regular stake won't kill me.” he snarled, throwing the dead man into another hunter. Before he could push the dead body away and defend himself, Stiles had grabbed the coffee table and torn a leg from it, stabbing it through the dead man and the living man behind him and pinning them to the floor with it.

“Enough! Stand down or we'll kill the wolf.” Stiles spun at the same Kol did, both watching the six hunters surrounding Jackson. He was in wolf form, his pale gold fur covering trembling muscles, and Stiles immediately spotted the dart lodged in his side. It wasn't hard to deduce that it was wolfsbane from the small whimpers leaving the wolf.

“Why are you here.” Stiles demanded, feeling the crackle of powers at his fingertips, but even as he spoke, a gun was pressed against Jackson's muzzle, and this one was most definitely lethal.

“Shut up. We're here on behalf of Mikael and Esther. You are to come quietly and be held until their arrival.” Stiles' mind was running a mile a minute. They weren't planning on killing anyone unless they had no other choice, and Mikael and Esther weren't here but were on their way. He wondered briefly why these hunters were following orders, but then, with a grin, he realized why.

“You foolish, foolish mortals.” Stiles said with a laugh, and heard the gun cock. In a flash, Kol had moved, having clearly come to the same conclusion as Stiles. He grabbed the man with the gun and yanked him back, fangs sinking into his jugular. Stiles moved next – now that there was no longer a weapon pointed at Jackson, he didn't have to hold back. With a wave of one hand, one man dropped in screams of agony, his bones shattered, and then Stiles was on the next one, snapping his neck and moving on before the body had even hit the floor. He saw a hunter point a weapon at Jackson and his vision went red.

“Don't. Touch. My. Pack.” the words promised violence and he grabbed a fallen dart gun and rammed it through the man's torso before forcing him to the ground. Kol was no longer feeding from the first hunter, and Stiles turned just in time to see his brother with a feral grin on his face, blood smeared across his features, relieving the last two hunters of their hearts. Turning his attention back to Jackson, he pulled the dart from his side and then pressed his hand where it had been. Jackson whimpered but Stiles shushed him, letting his magic roll through him. Now that the pack knew about his magic, he didn't have to heal them the hard way. Of course, removing poison from someone's bloodstream took a lot of power, and when he was finished he swayed back, but Kol caught him, settling him on the floor before moving to Jackson.

“Are you alright, little wolf?” Kol asked, and since the healing had been nearly as exhausting for him as it had been for Stiles, rather than shift back, he shuffled forward, pressing his muzzle into Kol's chest. Stiles watched Kol's expression soften, bloodied hands carding through the soft fur in comfort. It was then that the others appeared all at once, and the wolves immediately converged on Jackson even as Elijah moved towards Stiles.

“What happened here?” he asked, helping Stiles to his feet, checking his youngest brother over for injury.

“Hunters. Compelled by Mikael. They took Derek, and Peter, and Nik, and Bekah, and Allison, and Lydia.” he was so angry, angry that they'd taken just that little bit too long. And it was in that moment that he remembered one hunter was still alive. He had the hunter by the vest in an instant, slamming him against the wall.

“Where is my family?” he demanded, slamming the man back again despite his strangled sound of protest. “Where is my pack?” the others watched Stiles' barely contained fury worriedly, but none moved to stop him.

“Mikael and Esther gave their orders. The wolves are leverage. We'll kill them if you try anything. We only need the vampires.” Stiles snarled, letting his features change.

“I _am_ one of those vampires. Guess you screwed up, didn't you?” then he leaned in closer, yanking away the eye protection. “Now,” he commanded, eyes dilating with compulsion. “You're going to tell me where you've taken them, and when you do, I'm going to put you out of your misery. Do you understand?” there was a slow nod that told him he was under his control, and Stiles gave a vicious grin. “Good. Now where are they.”

“Underground base at the edge of town.” the man said before giving directions from their current location. As soon as he was done, Stiles snapped his neck, and then stood there, calming himself. The others watched silently as he took deep breaths, and when he finally seemed in control, he turned to them.

“Alright. Let's go. These hunters aren't following any sort of code while under compulsion and we can't trust them not to hurt our pack.” he said to the wolves, who immediately nodded in agreement, all just as furious as him. “I'm voting you stick with the beta form – the wolf is useful for speed, but depending on the situation, we might all need human coordination.” there were nods all around and then he looked to his siblings. “They have vervain, so be careful. Don't get hit by any darts, and if you see a grenade, stop breathing.” his brothers' both nodded, knowing better than to argue while their youngest sibling was so full of rage. “Great. Let's go.”

 


	7. Rescue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to those who helped correct my (originally) google translated polish! :)

Derek woke up still in wolf form, and he realized suddenly that he couldn't shift back if he wanted to. All four of his limbs were chained at the ankle, and while they were large enough for his human limbs, they were marked to keep him in one form or another. The fact that he was also in a cage was another sore point, and the rumble of discontent in his chest couldn't be helped. His gaze turned away from his own situation then as he searched for his pack members. He saw the two vampires first; chained up so that their feet barely touched the ground, and their wrists were burned from the chains clearly coated in vervain. Neither looked conscious and so he moved on. He saw Peter next, though his uncle was human once again, and sitting in a metal chair bolted to the floor, wrists and ankles shackled to the seat. He didn't look well, and his head was slumped forward, chin resting on his chest. So he wasn't conscious yet either. He took a deep breath, the smell of metal and blood filling his senses, but then he found what he wanted; the girls were also in the room, and he looked for them next, finding them huddled in a corner with only their wrists and ankles bound, a swath of material covering their mouths like gags. He felt a rush of contempt for their captors as he met Allison's gaze and she gave a nod. To assume the humans were weak simply because of their race; they should have known better than to think the humans in his pack were weak. He watched as Allison moved, shimmying up the wall and then carefully shuffling towards the table. She grabbed a tool and he realized with a wince that it was a scalpel, and quickly and efficiently cut her bonds. She removed the gag and went immediately to Lydia, freeing her as well. She looked to Derek then, asking what to do next, and Derek nodded at his uncle. Of all of them, he seemed to be in the worst pain. From Allison's wince, it seemed he was right to think so and he wondered how much he'd missed while unconscious. He watched Allison slink towards the door and grab a set of keys before returning to the chair Peter was in. He jerked at her touch, teeth bared, eyes flashing blue, but when he recognized her, he relaxed, watching as she freed him. When he was free, Lydia helped him stand, but when Allison moved towards Derek's cage, he growled and motioned towards the vampires.

“I'll help them, nephew. But it would do us no good to leave our alpha caged.” Derek growled but then conceded, watching as Peter and Lydia carefully unhooked the chains keeping the originals dangling and as Allison unlocked his cage and started working on the shackles. She was on the last one when the door swung open, and she just managed to free him when the hunter who'd opened the door shouted for help and rushed in. Allison moved so quickly that for a second Derek wondered if she'd been turned at some point without him knowing, and watched as the hunter who'd come in first dropped, scalpel buried in his throat. Derek shifted back and would've laughed at how Allison stripped the hunter of his pants and tossed them at him if he wasn't so focused on the footsteps rushing towards them as he tugged them on.

“How are they?” he asked Peter, and Peter frowned.

“Still unconscious. I'm not sure why though. They were only injected with fairly small amounts of vervain.”

“They had tranquilizers. They must have received a dose of those as well.” Derek reasoned, turning towards the door. “Was anyone conscious when they brought us in?” he asked next, and nobody could say they were. “Alright. Allison, grab whatever you can use. Lydia, stick with her. You're human so they'll hesitate to hurt you.” he looked at Peter who'd already lifted Klaus off the ground and so moved to grab Rebekah. “I'll take the lead.” he nodded at Peter who nodded back, agreeing to follow up from behind, and he started through the door. He was forced back by a round of gunshots and growled. Setting Rebekah down gently, he stripped again, shifting back into a wolf. He shot into the hallway, not aiming to kill but knock unconscious, and when he'd succeeded he returned, shifting back, redressing, and lifting the vampire. “Let's go.” they made it to a weapons room and ducked inside. Derek would've been amused at the gleam in Allison's eyes if he wasn't so wired, and watched as she suited up, helping Lydia into protective gear. Then she was grabbing a bow and a quiver of arrows, tucking knives away, and they were off again, formation changing. Allison took the lead now since she was fully armed and Lydia stayed safely between Derek and Peter. Derek decided to congratulate Allison on her skills once they were safe, amazed once more as she took down her targets quickly and easily without even hesitation. He'd forgotten just how well trained she was, and vowed never to forget again.

She shot an arrow with deadly precision into a man's chest but for the first time, the man didn't drop, and gave a deadly grin instead, veins around his eyes going black.

“Guess the humans forgot to mention they had backup.” the man said with a grin, rushing forward. Even as he moved, so did Derek pushing Rebekah towards Allison who only just managed to hold her up as Derek lunger forward, grappling with the vampire. The vampire managed to bite his forearm, but he tore his arm away, ignoring the stabbing pain as he latched onto the vampire's shoulder, listening to the curse of pain. He pulled away and snapped his neck, panting heavily. His arm stung but it was the least of their worries. He took Rebekah back and they continued forward, but Allison was weary now.

“Do you think their are any more?” she asked, and Derek shrugged.

“We'll just have to keep an eye out.” he said, and she nodded, more on edge now then ever. They passed through a door and right when Lydia stepped through, a gate slammed into place. With a growl, Derek slammed into it, but there was no use. Peter and Klaus were stuck on the other side.

“There was another hall about a hundred feet back.” Peter said. “I'll go that way.” Derek wanted to argue but he knew there was no point – no way without the help of the two unconscious vampires to lift the gate. He nodded then and Peter was off, jogging back down the hall. Derek turned back towards their own route and looked to Lydia.

“Stay close.” he ordered, and she nodded, hovering right at his elbow as they continued on. It would do them no good to be separated further. Grimacing, Derek started off again.

 

Klaus came to with the sound of Peter's cursing in his ears.

“God damn hunters.” Peter growled, and Klaus realized he was being carried by the wolf as he slowly opened his eyes. He could still feel the last of the vervain in his system along with whatever the hunter's had used to render him unconscious, but he knew it should fade relatively quickly.

“Peter.” he rasped, and the wolf briefly met his gaze before ducking around a corner and setting him on the ground, crouching in front of him.

“How are you feeling?” Peter asked, and there was none of the teasing Klaus was used to. Instead, the wolf was crouched in front of him, head cocked towards the hall they'd just been in, and when Klaus didn't answer right away, electric blue eyes slid in his direction.

“I'm fine.” he said, voice harsher than he intended, but he hated weakness, especially in himself and having needed to be protected grated at his senses. Peter just lifted a brow, gaze scanning over him before giving a sharp nod.

“Wonderful. Let's continue on, shall we?” Klaus nodded, ignoring the offered hand to stand, and followed Peter down the hall, taking in their surroundings.

“Where are we?” he asked, and watching Peter shrug his shoulders, not even glancing back at the hybrid as he continued on.

“Underground somewhere. I would assume at the edge of town else Stiles and the rest would have found us by now.” Klaus didn't answer right away but then he was being grabbed and shoved against a wall, not missing the sound of impact as something hit Peter's body when it should have hit him. He watched Peter's eyes flash blue again as a snarl ripped from his throat and he was off, pulling the dart from his side and rushing the hunter that had shot him, tearing out his throat with his claws before grabbing his gun and calmly filling his partner with bullets. Klaus watched it all in surprise before moving to pick up the dart.

“This was vervain. How did you know?”

“Because their goal is only to keep you. They need you alive but manageable hence the darts. The bullets are for us. We're just leverage to keep you and your siblings in your place but they're allowed to kill us if they deem it necessary.” Klaus was scowling and tossed the dart down.

“I'm capable of handling a single dart of vervain.” Klaus snapped, and Peter gave him a look that said he found him less than intelligent in that moment.

“Just because you can doesn't mean I'm going to let you.” he said, turning away again and waving Klaus to follow after him. “After all, if a wolf can't protect his mate, what good would we be?” Klaus could only stare in disbelief. While he'd enjoyed the physical intimacy he'd gained with the wolf, he'd never considered for a moment that the wolf would care for him beyond that. Not that he was opposed – but he generally did not trust when people spoke of affection unless it was one of his siblings. And yet, by taking the dart meant for him and killing those who had threatened him, the elder Hale was certainly proving his affection to be true. Though he knew he didn't need protection, the fact that it was being provided as proof of affection was something he could appreciate, and it soothed him.

“When did you figure it out?” Klaus asked, and even with Peter's back to him he could see the smirk that would be resting on the wolf's mouth.

“The moment I met you.” It was startling but Klaus found he really didn't mind.

“I suppose this means you expect protection in return?” Klaus asked, a test, and now Peter did look back, disapproval clear on his features.

“I don't expect anything from you.” and his tone made it clear how little he thought of this test. He knew the wolf wasn't lying and so Klaus gave a grin.

“Nothing at all?” the disapproval switched to amusement and he returned the grin with a smirk.

“Well, I'm sure I could come up with something.” he drawled, and Klaus chuckled. He could hear the heartbeats of hunters up ahead, and sped forward, relieving them of a portion of their anatomy and returning to Peter.

“How about a gift?” he asked, mockingly offering up the hearts, and watched Peter's smirk stretch into a grin. He stepped forward, kissing his mate.

“Oh sweet Valentine,” he teased. “It's a very good start.”

 

Stiles and the others arrived at the warehouse in record time and with a wave of Stiles' hand, the doors flew inward, allowing them to march inside. There were a number of hunters whose gaze snapped to the door at their intrusion, but wolves and vampire alike moved together to incapacitate them before moving forward. This had already gone on long enough, and none of them had the patience for it to last any longer. Their were four doors that lead to the basement but before they had to split up, one of the doors flew outwards, a hunter flying through after it. Klaus and Peter appeared moments later, covered in blood though none of it appeared to be their own. They were clearly surprised to see them, but both smiled at their appearance.

“Hello, little one.” Klaus greeted, accepting the hug as his youngest brother rushed towards him.

“Where are the others?” Stiles was asking then, and Peter spoke up.

“We were separated when Klaus and Rebekah were unconscious. Derek had Rebekah and Lydia and Allison were with Derek as well last I saw. We'd found an armoury though so Allison was fully armed, but it would seem your parents gifted the hunters with a few creatures of the night as backup.” Stiles exchanged glances with Elijah and Kol and gave a nod.

“Alright. You two need to get out of here. Head towards the old Hale house. There's protective magic there. You'll be safe.” Peter winced and Stiles gave a look of apology. “I'm sorry but I didn't have a chance to protect the loft. I can do that when we're all together again, but until then, head out to the preserve.” Peter nodded and together he and Klaus left. Then Stiles glanced at the three doors that were left. If the others were still down there, he was going to find them. They split into three groups, Jackson and Scott going with Kol, Isaac with Elijah, and Boyd and Erica following Stiles. Though splitting up set alarm bells ringing in his head, he knew it was the fastest way to get everyone to safety and that was worth the risk. With Boyd and Erica by his side, Stiles crept through the tunnels that were surprisingly devoid of enemies. At first he was grateful, but the farther they got, the more unlikely it became that the tunnels were seriously without hunters. Frowning, he reached out with his magic, and it was then that he noticed the cameras as little spikes of electricity when his magic touched them.

“Damn it. Run.” he ordered, and Erica and Boyd didn't hesitate to listen to him, running back the way they'd come. Instead of following them though, Stiles ran the opposite direction, knowing he moved fast enough not to be caught on camera, and found the ones he was looking for in a surprisingly dangerous situation. Allison was bleeding from a cut along her hairline, grimacing as she sent off shot after shot, and Rebekah was a flurry of movement, vampiric features snarling at a hunter as her fangs slid into his throat, draining him of life. Derek was in wolf form, but he could see the blood matting his fur as he stood guard in front of Lydia, protecting her from the vampire circling them. Stiles flashed over to the vampires Allison was keeping at bay and with a flick of his wrist, he had the ceilings collapsing in a heap of rubble, sunlight pouring in and burning the vampires who had nowhere to run to with Stiles and Rebekah moving to block the exits every time they tried to escape. Their screams died down as they died, one by one, and when the last one fell Stiles moved towards his pack members, checking them for injury. Other than the blow to her head, Allison was fine, but she accepted Rebekah's help out, and as for Lydia, while scared, she was uninjured and she left with Allison and Rebekah. Stiles approached Derek then, watching the slowly healing wounds.

“I could help you speed up the process.” Stiles offered, and felt the weight of Derek's gaze on him as he finally looked up to meet the alpha red eyes staring at him from the wolf's form. Derek made a sound that was a clear question of how, and Stiles lifted his wrist to his mouth, biting through the skin and offering his wrist. “Vampire blood has healing factors. Even for werewolves.” he added, assuming Derek wouldn't accept, but then Derek surprised him, and the wolf's pink tongue lapped at his wrist, cleaning it of blood. He watched as the wounds healed, and Stiles felt the relief rush through him. Derek was okay. He realized Derek must have smelled his relief because Derek was nudging him then, and he realized it was a thanks. He settled his hand on the flat of the wolf's skull between his ears.

“No problem, buddy.” he said, smiling. “Let's get out of here.”

They met up with the others outside of the warehouse and saw Kol and Elijah already dousing the property in gasoline. When he and Derek stepped outside and the pack rushed forward to see their alpha, Stiles turned back and clicked his fingers, watching as flame burst forth with the sound. He watched the building go up, knowing that if anyone was still inside they would burn too, and without even a hint of regret, he turned away.

“Come on. Nik and Peter are waiting for us at the preserve.”

 

When the originals and the Hale pack were all at the preserve, everybody dropped onto the grass to relax. The pack, all human once more, curled up around each other, and Stiles just laughed when he was pulled into the group, the betas scent marking him as pack. The original siblings watched it all in surprise before the wolves finally split apart and they all sat sprawled on the grass, ready to discuss what had just happened.

“Allison, you should call Chris. Let him know what happened. He needs to know that there were hunters involved and a notice needs to go out to say they were compelled by vampires. Vervain is a must. That goes for all of you as well.” Stiles ordered, looking at them all. “The only ones here that can't be compelled are Lydia and Derek, but having vervain in your system means any vampire that tries to bite you will be burned by the vervain in your blood. Since we already know that Mikael is turning people for fodder, that's definitely something we have to worry about.” everyone was nodding and Allison stood, going to call her Dad. While she was on the phone, Stiles' mind was forming new back up plans. “Oh and Allison – UV rounds and a vervain coating on weapons.” he ordered and she nodded before turning her attention back to the phone. Stiles was tired, the use of so much magic having drained him, but he had too many other things to focus on.

“Stiles. We need to secure the loft.” he heard Derek say, and he nodded in agreement. Something was bothering him, brushing against the edge of his senses, but he couldn't quite grasp it.

“Right. Yeah. Let's wait until the Argents dispose of the hunters there. Then we'll go back. Until then, let's all just relax here, okay?” he lay back in the grass then, resting his head in Erica's lap. Then he was asleep.

 

Stiles woke up to the soothing feeling of fingers carding through his hair and he looked up to see Erica watching him and smiled.

“Hey, how long was I out?”

“Only an hour.” she told him, and he smiled again.

“Good. That's not too bad. I feel much better.” he stood, stretching, and then grinned. “Is the loft clear?” when he received a nod his grin widened. “Alright, let's go ward that place.”

 

Once the loft was securely warded with magic and traps provided by Chris (who'd taken one look at Klaus and Peter, looked about ready to be sick, and stormed out without a word), they all settled down, everybody antsy from having been caught off guard in the first place.

“Scott, Jackson. You guys are on food. Everyone's welcome to stay here while we figure out what other threats might be coming.” when the two wolves nodded at their alpha's command, Stiles looked at Kol and his brother nodded, standing to go with the wolves. When they left, Stiles stood and went back to the map, marking off the building the hunters had used. Unsurprisingly, it was directly between two of their traps, and Stiles knew that because of that placement, it would push his biological parents closer to one of the traps they'd set. Allison had handed out vervain to everyone and they'd all decided to take it as a tea, drinking it down. He noticed all except Derek drink it, but the alpha just avoided his gaze and so Stiles gave up. He wasn't going to bother arguing with the alpha on this when he knew that he couldn't be compelled.

“How close would you say they are?” It was Elijah who'd appeared beside him, and Stiles shrugged.

“That's the problem. It's hard to say. If I had to guess though, I'd say they're going to arrive within the day.”

Elijah lifted a brow at that and Stiles sighed.

“They expected us to be subdued, and how long can they really expect humans to keep us?” unable to argue the point, Elijah just sighed, looking back to the other occupants of the loft.

“Their actions did not show any hesitation towards those around us.” Elijah finally said gently, and Stiles winced. Unable to help himself, Stiles slipped into a language that no one but his siblings would understand.

“Moglibyśmy uciec.”  _We could run._ Just thinking it hurt, but Stiles knew he could do it if it would keep his pack safe. He didn't realize Klaus had approached until his hand fell on his shoulder. 

“Uciekaliśmy już zbyt długo, mały.”  _We've run for too long, little one._ Rebekah appeared in the next moment on his other side, sliding an arm around his waist.

“Nie martw się, ochronimy twoje wilki.”  _Don't worry, we'll protect your wolves._ She promised, and Klaus squeezed his shoulder. 

“Nasze wilki.” he corrected, and Stiles smiled.  _Our wolves._ He'd said, and it soothed Stiles' fears. He looked up to see the wolves all watching them, and he met Derek's eyes. 

“Nasze wilki.” he repeated, and relaxed, giving a nod to his siblings. He could see the wolves were curious, but he just gave them another smile. His siblings were right, they could do this, and they could win.

 

Once all the food had been devoured and everyone had regained their strength, Stiles and Kol had finally decided on a movie after all their bickering, everyone had settled down in the loft, waiting for the inevitable.

They were halfway through The Three Musketeers with the originals arguing the historical accuracy versus the cinematic goodness (Stiles' words), when Stiles felt the burning weight of the alphas gaze on the back of his head, and he managed to slowly remove himself from the conversation before standing and moving to the kitchen. With the movie, as long as they spoke quietly, none of the others would hear their conversation, and moments later, Derek was facing him in the kitchen, arms crossed in front of his chest.

“What's up, sourwolf.” Stiles asked, voice friendly, but Derek just frowned at the nickname and Stiles sighed internally. It was going to be one of  _those_ conversations. 

“I'm sorry.” Stiles found himself staring at the alpha in complete disbelief. Had he really just heard what he thought he'd heard? He knew he was gaping by the way Derek scowled, but he couldn't help himself.

“What did you say?” Derek's scowl darkened, but he repeated himself.

“I'm sorry.” Stiles found himself staring before a slow smile spread across his face.

“It's okay.” he replied, and Derek nodded though now he looked thoroughly uncomfortable. “Is that all you wanted to say?” he asked, and Derek shook his head.

“Thank you. For earlier.” Stiles knew without having to ask that Derek meant when he'd offered his blood, and he dipped his head.

“No problem. What are friends for, after all.”

“You treat me differently than everyone else.” Derek said, practically cutting him off, and now it was Stiles who felt uncomfortable. He rubbed a hand over the back of his head.

“I'm not quite sure what you mean,” he deflected, and Derek just made eyebrows at him that said he didn't believe him.

“Rebekah said it earlier, and I didn't realize how right she was until earlier. You help everyone, you risk yourself for everyone, but you do so much more for me.” Stiles was shaking his head. Derek was still frowning and that didn't bode well for the conversation and now was  _really_ not the time he wanted to be hashing out the whole mate thing. 

“Derek, seriously, buddy. I don't know what you mean.” he felt panicky, he didn't want to deal with this, but of course Derek knew him well enough to see that.

“You're panicking. Calm down, Stiles.”

“Calm down?” Stiles demanded, voice a low hiss so it wouldn't draw the attention of everyone in the next room. “You want me to calm down?” he demanded, and Derek nodded.

“Yes.” Stiles just stared at him in complete disbelief, shaking his head.

“Well then give me a good reason to.” he snapped, and Derek was frowning again.

“I think you have feelings for me.” he said it with that same frown, and the words hit Stiles about as hard as a stake to the chest. He went completely still, unable to look away. He felt like his heart might stop, unsure of how to proceed, of how he was supposed to collect himself from the rejection that must be coming judging by the frown on Derek's face and the way his eyebrows were drawn together. Derek was opening his mouth to continue and Stiles was deciding whether to bolt or not when the alarm blared in each of their heads.

“What the bloody hell is that?” Rebekah demanded from the living room, hands clapped over her ears, and Stiles escaped the kitchen and Derek as he bolted for the door.

“That's the alarm. They're here.”

 


	8. Meet the Parents

Stiles, Derek, Scott, and Lydia were in their places in the forest when Stiles received a text from Nik saying he, Rebekah, Erica, Boyd, and Peter were in place. Moments later, he received a text from Elijah saying he, Kol, Jackson, Isaac, and Allison were also ready. Relieved that at least this much had gone as planned, Stiles let out a breath, ignoring Derek's stare from his hidden position. They were placed along four points of a very wide circle, each with a single line to add to a rune in order to activate the circle to trap them. Much as he'd predicted, he felt the rush of power of his mother being close by, her connection to the earth calling out to his own, and when he saw his parents step into the circle, he activated his rune, feeling the zing of power rush through him as the others did the same. He stepped out when he knew his parents were caught, and felt the weight of their eyes on him.

“Stiles.” his Mother was surprised, and he managed a smile for her.

“Mother.”

“What have you done?” Mikael demanded, sounding as angry as he remembered, and his smile fell.

“I have friends here. I'm protecting them. You nearly got them killed when you sent the hunters.” his Mother was watching him curiously, but Mikael rushed forward, flinging against the magical barrier in his rage.

“You can't keep us in here, Stiles. And when we are released you will be punished for these actions as you will be punished for harbouring your bastard brother.” Stiles winced at that but put up his hands for peace.

“I only did this so we could speak. I knew if I did not provide the circumstances, this chance would not be available to us.” he watched his Mother step forward, staying Mikael with a touch, and she inclined her head towards him.

“What is it you wish to speak about?”

“I want my friends to be safe. This feud is between us, not them.”

“Yes, the were-beasts the hunters spoke of.” Mikael snarled, “Monsters.”

“They aren't.” Stiles argued fiercely, focusing back on his Mother. “They're nothing like the wolves from my youth. They can control their shift, even on the moon, and it never pains them. They can be born or bitten, and they create pack, create family. It's beautiful, Mother. They are as close to the earth as we are.” he could see his Mother softening, and so he pushed on. “I have no qualms about facing you about my own misdeeds. But my mistakes do not belong to them, and they should not be punished for them.” even his father was still now, watching him, and he sighed. “That is all I ask. I will leave with you, if that is what you wish, but I do not wish to continue this feud anywhere near them. They have been family to me when I was alone. I would willingly sacrifice my life for theirs.” and even as the words left his lips he heard the gasps of the pack members near him, the strangled no from Lydia. His Mother lifted a brow, nearly smiling at him.

“Are those the voices of your pack?” she asked, and he hadn't even needed to say it for her to know what they meant to him and what he meant to them in return.

“Some.” he admitted, inclining his head. “They worry for me, as I worry for them.”

“May we meet them?” Stiles' gaze flickered to Mikael but his Father just nodded, clearly willing to follow his wife's will for now. Stiles nodded, and on queue, Lydia, Scott, and Derek appeared. Lydia moved directly to his side, taking his hand and squeezing, and he squeezed back gently.

“So you are the wolves my son has taken up residence with.” Esther began, eyes resting on Lydia and telling Stiles that she knew better than to think Lydia too was a wolf. Much to his surprise, Derek answered.

“We are.”

“Does he speak the truth when he says you can shift at will?” Esther asked, and Derek nodded, his eyes flashing alpha red as a demonstration.

“He does.” she turned her gaze to meet Mikael's, and after a moment of silent communication, she turned back to Stiles.

“You have forever been my favourite son,” she began, and Stiles felt his stomach drop. He knew from that alone that he was going to be given an ultimatum. “And the very last thing I want to see is the light fade from your beautiful eyes,” she continued. “But your brother, Niklaus, has done more than we can accept. He killed me, Stiles. And it was only through a miracle that your father was able to bring me back.” Stiles winced at that. “Give us Niklaus, and we will spare not only your pack, but you and the rest of your siblings as well.” all softness and love fled her features upon her next words. “However, if you do not, we will have no choice but to kill everyone in this town until we find him.”

“How could you offer me such a choice, Mother?” he asked, voice pained. “How could you make me choose between family?” his fingers tapped out a rhythm against the back of Lydia's hand, and it was a signal she recognized. She knew what Stiles wanted her to do, and knew that the moment he stopped tapping and gave her hand a squeeze she would have to scream.

“Niklaus is an abomination.” Mikael snarled, but Stiles shook his head.

“He is not. He is the same man he was when we were human – have you not noticed in your long chase that we have all changed? That we have grown through what we were turned into – what you turned us into – and have become what we were once more? Can you not see your very own children beneath the devils mask that you yourself created?” Derek listened to the words and was struck by how much Stiles sounded like his family in this moment; gone were the familiar terms of slang or endearment; gone were the nicknames and sarcasm. All he could hear was an age old ache that once more reminded Derek of all the pain Stiles had faced. He wanted to reach out, to prove that Stiles was not any sort of devil, but he knew better than to interrupt, and his wolf howled at the pain his mate was in. Mate. The word hit him like a brick, and he found himself reeling. When had Stiles become his mate? His mind demanded, but his wolf growled in response.  _ Always _ . He repressed a shudder. He'd wanted to confront Stiles earlier but the other had bolted before he could broach the subject properly, and he realized now just why Stiles had looked so afraid. He'd known; all this time he'd known what they were to each other, and hadn't said a word because Derek had refused to acknowledge it. His wolf whined when he realized the kind of soul deep ache that would have brought the other, and barely managed to hold back a wince. He needed to tell Stiles he knew now, that he accepted and acknowledged it, and in order to do that, he had to make sure Stiles lived. He could see the violence shimmering along Mikael's skin – a dangerous, red haze that spoke of imminent danger, and he knew he had to protect Stiles at all costs. Stiles had always protected him, and now it was his turn. 

“Niklaus is an abomination, and so are those that protect him.” Derek saw the motion start before it really even started. He saw the hand flash to the belt, the weapon be drawn, and saw it tossed through the air at lightning speed. He reacted faster than he ever had before, throwing himself forward, and in front of Stiles even as the magic of the circle flashed brighter as the witch broke through the magic that had held them. He felt the stake pierce his chest, heard Stiles shout behind him, and then he heard nothing.

 

Derek moved faster than Stiles could see – faster than he could react – and he felt it when the stake buried itself in Derek's chest and the wolf stumbled back into him.

“No! Derek! No!” he didn't even hear himself shouting, didn't hear or feel the ground shake in his anger, didn't hear his own scream as his vision went red and he looked at his parents, hating them more than he'd ever hated anything before. As his rage spiked, so did his magic, and he didn't even notice when Scott grabbed Lydia and yanked her away, could see nothing but Derek's blood, and the stake that had been meant for him sticking out of his chest. He lunged forward, rushing his father, not even feeling the licks of flame as his Mother tried to burn him, but Mikael was ready for him, and caught him in the air, throwing him down.

“You will be put down, just like your dog.” the insult had Stiles lashing out, snapping the arm that held him. Mikael's expression of disbelief was something to be savoured, but not yet, not then, not when Derek lay motionless only a few feet away. He pushed forward, yanking the broken limb into further disrepair until Mikael could dislodge him. Then the pain came, the aneurism in his brain that witches were so fond of, exploding and healing and exploding again. The pain had him on the ground, and he struggled against it, struggled to escape the killing blow that would come from Mikael at any moment, but instead the pain suddenly stopped. He looked around, disoriented, but what he saw was the pack in wolf form attacking Mikael, bites littering his father's form, and his siblings having their mother cornered, clearly too distracted to continue hurting Stiles. His eyes fell on Derek again, and since there was a moment of distraction, he scrambled to his side, checking almost without hope for a pulse. When he found it, he could have passed out from relief, but instead he tossed his magic over him, keeping the alpha in a stasis. He would deal with that after. He watched his siblings fly back from a blast of magic, and he reacted in turn, his own magic flaring with his extended hand. His mother and he were old witches; they no longer needed words of any kind to direct their powers, all they needed to do was focus. With every ounce of concentration, he wrapped a bubble around his Mother, tightening it until her powers could not go beyond her skin.

“Now!” he shouted at his siblings, watching as they converged. His Mother's hateful gaze turned towards him and he gave a wolfish grin that turned into a grimace as her powers battled his own. She was older and therefore stronger, but he had the strength of vampirism on his side. His gaze darted momentarily towards Mikael and the wolves and he winced when one of the wolves – Erica – was tossed away, but even as she leapt back to her feet, Mikael was pushed to his knee by a well aimed bite by Peter. He heard his Mother cry out for him and gritted his teeth. His siblings converged as one then, moving in tandem to dodge and catch each other whenever their Mother's magic broke through Stiles', and eventually they made it back to her. Though it wasn't nearly as bloody as Stiles craved for her part in Derek's injury, he was satisfied when he watched Elijah take a large wooden branch snapped from a tree by Rebekah, and shove it through their Mother's torso when she was thrown towards him by a shove from Kol. He released his magic as she gurgled on her own blood, and felt a sick wave of satisfaction at Mikael's scream of anguish at watching his wife die. He wondered briefly if that's what he'd sounded like and once more felt that dark satisfaction. Then Mikael was surging to his feet, the wolves tossed in every direction. He moved with a practiced ease despite the pain he must have been in and drew a new stake, rushing for Klaus. He rammed Klaus into a tree, stake inches from his heart, but Klaus managed to catch Mikael's wrist, keeping the blow at bay.

“I will see you dead, boy.” Mikael snarled, but Klaus just shook his head.

“No, Father.” his calm expression belied the centuries old pain that rose every time he heard the derisive tone, but he managed to snap Mikael's wrist, forcing the stake into Mikael's stomach instead of his own chest. Though of course it didn't kill him, it sent Mikael reeling back. He drew the stake from his stomach and next rushed towards Stiles, but Stiles dodged and Kol flew into Mikael from the side, throwing him sideways. Rebekah caught him then, leaping onto his shoulders even as her brothers' converged to hold the age old vampire they called father steady. With a bloodthirsty cry, she snapped his neck, tearing it clean from his shoulders, and dropping it at his feet even as she landed on her own. They all stood, staring at the two bodies before their attention snapped to Stiles.

“Fire. Burn them. Then go to Derek.” Derek's name had panic flying through him again and he nodded, the corpses lighting with a flicker of a thought before he rushed to the alpha's side.

He was hardly breathing, his pulse barely a flutter, and though he knew the worst thing to do was draw a weapon from a wound, he did so anyways, pressing him hand over the wound even as it gushed warm blood over his pale skin.

“You aren't going to die on me, Derek.” Stiles ordered, grasping his magic and pushing it into Derek's body, ordering it to mend, to save. “I haven't relived these years as a teenager and stayed by your side through thick and thin just to watch you die.” he could feel his tears now, feel them streaming down his face as he pushed his magic farther.

“Stiles, if you use too much magic, it could kill you.” he didn't know whose voice it was that warned him, didn't care about the worry he could hear in it.

“I'm an original vampire. I'm invincible.” he snapped in return, and didn't see everyone flinch back as his magic flared in anger at their disbelief.

“Come on. Come on! Come back!” he shouted, and he could feel the magic draining out of him, draining into Derek. His vision was beginning to go spotty, black spots pushing reality out of sight, but he gritted his teeth, pushing harder. He felt the wound heal under his palm but didn't stop since the pulse was still thready and the breathing shallow. He didn't stop until the darkness claimed him, and his whole body went cold, and his last fading thought was  _ please _ . 

 

 


	9. Mates

 The first thing Derek remembered was the all consuming sound of anguish that had torn through the air, and he'd immediately known who it belonged to.

“Stiles.” the name was barely audible, gasped out on a breath, followed by another memory. A stake flying through the air and stabbing him in the chest. His eyes flew open, his hands scrambling for where the piece of wood had been embedded, but all he found was smooth skin, and the faces of his pack looking down at him. All but Stiles. “Stiles.” he managed to say again, more urgently this time, and the betas parted around him so he could see across the room to his left, where Stiles' siblings were huddled around a still form. “No.” he lurched to his feet, his bare feet hitting the smooth tiled floor bringing with it the realization that they were back at the loft. It made him think they must have won, but that was second in importance next to Stiles. He stumbled forward, and didn't complain when nameless hands supported him, keeping him from falling, until he reached where Stiles lay and dropped down to kneel beside him. He reached out, one hand pressing against his forehead, the skin ice cold at his touch, and he looked to his siblings in answer. For any answer.

“You were dead.” Rebekah provided, and Derek could only stare. Dead? But he remembered – nothing after the scream, he realized, and felt the fear freeze in his chest. “Stiles went a bit mad and used his magic to bring you back. For a moment we thought you were both gone, but then your heart started up again, against all odds.” at the words, Derek scrambled for Stiles' pulse, relaxing once he found it.

“He's still alive.”

“He is, but we don't know how.” Kol said, frowning down at his brother. “By all accounts he should be dead. The sort of strength it takes to bring someone back from the other side – even we aren't supposed to have the strength for that.” Derek shook his head, hand searching until they found Stiles', tangling their fingers together and leaning forward so that their foreheads were pressed together. He was remembering more now – remembering things as if he could sense them through Stiles, almost as if what he remembered went through Stiles before it came to him, ebbing and flowing with the cool scent of earth. He realized that feeling had been Stiles' magic, and those memories, were Stiles', and with the memories, he could feel his pain. Derek took a deep breath, lungs filling with Stiles' scent, and as he breathed in his mate's scent, he remembered something else. He stood so suddenly he nearly fell, and without any hesitation, he shifted. When he was a full wolf, he threw back his head, and howled. Stiles bolted up as if he'd only been dozing and had been caught sleeping when he was supposed to be studying. He looked around and the first thing he noticed was Derek and without a moments hesitation he threw himself forward and wrapped his arms around the wolf, hands sinking into the warm fur. Derek nuzzled him in return, and Stiles let out a laugh.

“You called me back. You called me back by howling. How did you know that would work?” he asked, disbelieving, and Derek shook him off, demonstrating a biting motion. Stiles' eyes widened in surprise and then he was grinning again. Then he seemed to realize where they were, and he spun around, looking at his family. His eyes took in each of their faces before looking for each wolf and making sure he saw each of them.

“You're all alive.” he looked back at Derek who'd shifted back and was buttoning up his jeans. “Everyone's alive.” he gave a disbelieving laugh. “And they burned? They can't come back?” he asked, and Niklaus nodded.

“They'll never be able to come back.” Stiles smiled, looking happier than ay of them had ever seen him, until suddenly he faltered.

The wolves all tasted it the moment something was wrong, and his siblings saw it in his demeanour.

“Stiles, what's wrong?” Scott was asking, moving towards his friend, and Stile looked blank, the shock draining him of everything else.

“My magic. I can't feel it.”

***

Isaac was sitting in front of the old Hale house, gazing up at the burnt out husk, Boyd and Erica at his side. They'd left the loft earlier when Stiles had seemed to fold into himself in his disbelief, and the pack had all cleared out, giving him, his family, and their alpha, space. Boyd had a sketchbook on his lap, and together they were imagining what a new house would have to look like. Boy'd had done research into architecture and engineering, so while they knew their plans wouldn't be perfect, they knew they were headed in the right direction. They'd planned out rooms for the pack to spend time together for movies and stuff, and a big spacious kitchen because it turned out both Peter and Stiles liked to cook and everyone enjoyed it when they did, but they hadn't gotten much farther. Now they were planning a library to keep all the information they collected in, and bedrooms. They jokingly sketched places for each pack member (or mated pair) could have a room, but deep down, they all hoped that if the house was ever rebuilt they'd be given a place in it. It was there that Elijah found them, Isaac and Erica leaning back against each other with Boyd facing them from the side, hand flying over the paper. Isaac noticed him first, and gave a small smile, the others noticing him through Isaac's recognition of his presence.

“I see you're designing the new house.” Elijah said, and watched all three wolves shift uncomfortably.

“Not exactly.” Isaac finally provided. “We don't actually know if Derek and Peter are ever planning on rebuilding it. After all, their family died here, and even though Peter managed to survive, he went crazy, so not really a selling point.”

“I don't think you should worry.” Elijah said, ignoring the explanation. “It would seem the Hale's are growing tired of having everyone inside the loft. They're more likely to rebuild this home than you think.” he didn't say anything more on the subject, but Isaac could tell he had more he could say. Shifting so Erica knew he was going to stand and could adjust, he then got up, facing the original even as Boyd spoke up.

“How's Stiles?”

“He's alone with your alpha. It would seem they had much to discuss.” Erica rolled her eyes at that but she was smiling.

“Yeah, I bet twenty that they won't be talking for long.”

“You can buy lunch.” Boyd said mildly, and when Erica pouted at him, Isaac turned to Elijah.

“How come you came all the way out here?”

“It's been brought to my attention that perhaps my family wouldn't be welcome to stay in town as trouble is drawn to us.”

“You're leaving?” he hadn't meant to sound upset, but it came through anyways, and he could feel Boyd and Erica watching him so he backpedalled. “Weird supernatural things will come to Beacon Hills whether you're here or not.” Elijah was staring at him as if he could see right through him, and Isaac couldn't help but shift under the gaze.

“If you would wish it,” Elijah said then, voice careful. “I would, perhaps, stay.” his tone was cautious and Isaac was staring in surprise, wondering if he'd heard what he'd thought he'd heard.

“You-” he shook his head, gathering his thoughts. “You'll stay?” he finally settled on asking, and Elijah gave the slightest of nods. Isaac didn't realize he'd started smiling until he was practically beaming at the original. “Good.” the stiff air that had surrounded Elijah seemed to soften, and he gave a small smile in return. Then his gaze was turning towards Boyd's sketchbook.

“Perhaps, if you would hear my advice-”

***

 

Jackson was sitting in the bleachers at the lacrosse field, worry twisting through his thoughts. He'd been so worried, so _scared_ when he'd seen Derek lying on the ground with the stake in his chest, and when Stiles had gone down too – he'd been terrified. He closed his eyes, letting the shudder roll through him, and wondered if Stiles would be okay. He'd never felt as important to the pack as he had when Stiles had turned to protect him, snarling at the hunters not to touch him because he was pack, and draining himself to exhaustion just to heal him. In return, Jackson couldn't help but feel a bone deep worry that Stiles would somehow be hurt in the worst possible way by not having his magic.

“Are you alright, little wolf?” Jackson's eyes snapped open and he saw Kol standing there watching him from the field. He didn't have his usual smirk, and he was watching Jackson with a focus that clearly stated he expected a serious answer. So Jackson shrugged.

“I'm worried about Stiles.” the intensity of Kol's gaze softened and he moved in a flash, suddenly standing directly in front of Jackson on the bleachers.

“My brother will be fine.” he assured, and Jackson relaxed at the words. Though he knew they were only for comfort, few knew Stiles as well as his family, and if they thought he'd be fine, then he would be. Jackson looked up again, frowning at the original.

“Were you looking for me?” he asked, and Kol tilted his head to regard him.

“And if I was?” Jackson was reminded suddenly of how Kol had looked before, when it had been him and Stiles both turning to protect him from the hunters. He saw Kol as he'd looked after he'd killed; the blood smeared across his face, a victorious grin present. It had seemed vicious, nearly feral, but the hands that had carded through his fur, soothing, had been gentle and kind.

“If you were, I'd invite you along for coffee.” he finally said, standing and brushing off his pants. “It's getting cold out here.” Kol's smirk said he knew what the offer really was, what he meant despite how he'd brushed the question off, and so when Kol offered his hand, though Jackson gave him a look that said he was not impressed, he took it.

 

***

 

When the pack had left, Stiles had asked his family to go too, and he hadn't looked up until he knew it was only him and Derek in the loft.

“You took that stake for me. Why?” he demanded, but there was no heat behind it, only defeat.

“Because you're my mate.” Stiles' gaze snapped up, and he knew he was gaping, but he couldn't stop himself.

“What did you just say?” Derek approached where Stiles stood frozen with slow care as if he was afraid the other would bolt.

“I said you're my mate.”

“How – Why – What –” Stiles sputtered, but then Derek was kissing him, and the words died in his throat. When Derek finally pulled back, he rested his forehead against Stiles'. “Oh.” Stiles finally breathed, and Derek watched the smile finally spread across Stiles' mouth. “ _Oh_.”

“You're such an idiot.” Derek muttered, but it was fond, and Stiles looked up at him, opening his mouth to retort, but Derek kissed him silent. “I don't want to hear it.” he growled, and Stiles just grinned up at him.

“Whatever you say, sourwolf.” he teased, and a spark of light danced between them. They both tensed and Derek looked to Stiles for an answer, but Stiles was staring in disbelief, slowly reaching out to take Derek's hands. Then Derek was staring at a glowing white ball of light, and heard Stiles' bubbling laughter of disbelief.

“What's going on, Stiles?” Derek asked, not worried but still curious.

“My magic. It's in you. As long as I'm near you, it's not gone. It's just you. You're my magic.” Derek lifted a brow, unimpressed, and Stiles flushed bright red, releasing Derek's hands. “You know what I mean.” he snapped, but he just flushed darker at Derek's smirk.

“Yeah, I'm your magic.” Stiles just glared at him, but then he was jumping forward, latching on to kiss him again.

“You never know, I could be yours.” Stiles said suggestively, and Derek groaned.

“I take it all back.” Derek said, “I don't think you're my mate.” he said, but he didn't let Stiles go, instead he just held him tighter. Stiles was grinning, but then once again he was pressing their foreheads together, breathing in as if to assure himself the world was real.

“I need you to promise me something, Derek.” Stiles said, completely serious now, and Derek frowned, waiting to hear what he was about to be promising. He knew he should have considered the content of the promise first before knowing he would promise, but he knew better than to think Stiles would ask something so unreasonable of him when he was this serious, and that told him that whatever it was, was worth promising. “Don't _ever_ take a stake for me again.” Derek let out a breath, giving a smile.

“Are there any other stakes out there that can kill you?” Stiles shook his head and so Derek nodded. “I promise then, not to take a stake for you in the chest ever again.” Stiles relaxed and wrapped his arms around his mate, taking comfort in the fact that somehow they'd both managed to live. He took a deep breath and then smiled. This was safety, this was home.


	10. One Door Closes and Another Opens

_Two Years Later_

 

Stiles heard his phone ring and groaned, reaching out a blind hand to grab it and bring it to his ear.

“Hello?” he answered, voice rough with sleep, and he heard a chuckle on the other end.

“That is quite the greeting, Stiles. If I didn't know better I'd think my nephew and your brother would have to worry about your intentions.” Peter teased, and Stiles rolled his eyes.

“Ha. ha. Why are you waking me up at this ungodly hour?” he asked, and at that moment he felt the heavy arm wrap around his waist and pull him in, the stubble on Derek's chin itchy against his shoulder as the alpha cuddled him.

“Because I thought you would like it brought to your attention that there are some witches in New Orleans that seem to have a bone to pick with Klaus. Something about his protege wreaking havoc.” Stiles was awake the moment he heard the information and turned to see Derek was awake now too, listening attentively.

“And? Do we know anything more than that?”

“Apparently they want your brother, and by extension your family, to come and deal with the problem, or else.”

“Or else what?”

“I don't know, Stiles, do I seem like the type to care about whatever these witches are threatening?” he asked, sounding bored, but Stiles knew better.

“Does Nik want to go?” he asked, and though the hesitation was barely there, Stiles still heard it.

“He's – worried.” Stiles frowned, and then heaved a sigh.

“You know what, fine. I'm getting up. Meet us in the kitchen.” he grumbled and then hung up, turning to look at Derek. “Why does everyone insist on calling everyone else when we're in the same building?” Stiles demanded, and Derek just rolled his eyes, pulling him in closer and practically wrapping around him like an octopus.

“I don't think we should get up yet.” he said, scenting along Stiles' throat, and Stiles just rolled his eyes again.

“And risk your creepy uncle and my creepy brother trying to walk in on us? No thank you.” Stiles said firmly, and he could feel Derek scowl against his skin but he didn't disagree. “Come on, let's get this over with. Maybe we can just send Nik and Peter to deal with it.” he said hopefully, and Derek gave a noncommittal grunt, watching Stiles get out of bed and start to get dressed, dragging on pants and grabbing the first t-shirt in sight. Derek was not so secretly pleased that it was his own, and he showed this appreciation by grabbing Stiles and pushing him up against the door to kiss him senseless. Stiles groaned into the kiss but then slipped away, darting out the door at vampire speed so he wouldn't be caught again.

“Come on. Get dressed and meet me in the kitchen.” his eyes sparkled with mischief as he turned to go down the stairs. “The faster we get this over with, the faster we can get back to that.” Stiles promised, and it had Derek staring after him, fighting a smile of disbelief. The bloody vampire had grabbed his shirt on purpose.

 

When Derek reached the kitchen, he was immediately handed a cup of coffee by Stiles and turned to scan the room. It was a large kitchen, and Derek remembered with pride when Boyd had finally shown him his sketches under the prompting of Elijah and Klaus. It had pushed him and Peter to rebuild the Hale house into somewhere they could all live together, and they could not have made a better choice. He found Boyd at the table with Erica sitting in the chair next to him with her legs tossed over his lap and her forehead against his shoulder dozing off. Across from them was Kol and Jackson, and Derek watched in what had once been resignation and was now amusement as Kol hooked an arm around Jackson's waist as he tried to pass and yanked him down into his lap, pressing a kiss against his jaw. Jackson glared at him, but he didn't bother trying to move when the original locked his arm in place, and Derek didn't miss how the wolf actually relaxed into the original. Though he hadn't expected it, he couldn't deny that they were a couple he could understand. Lydia, Rebekah, Allison and Scott were on the far end of the table, and even taking only a look at them Derek knew that still wasn't something he wanted to try and figure out, something Stiles teased him about mercilessly. Over by the coffee machine was where Isaac stood, and when Elijah appeared in the room looking as perfectly pressed as he always did, he went immediately to Isaac's side, accepting the coffee that Isaac was drinking and taking a sip before pressing it back into the wolf's hands with a smile, showing affection with a press of lips to his temple. He grounded Isaac, and Derek was grateful for it because he remembered how worried Isaac's lack of an anchor had made him in the past. Finally his gaze turned to rest on Klaus and Peter who stood together in the doorway now, effectively blocking them all in. Derek rolled his eyes at the idea and Stiles grinned at him, clearly having had a similar thought. As he looked at Klaus and Peter he was once again reminded of two years earlier, when he'd found out they were mates, and been a bit uncomfortable with the fact that he and his uncle were mates with two brothers. Of course, Stiles had then mocked him for it considering how old he and Klaus were, and Derek had dropped the subject. However, looking at his uncle and his mate, he couldn't help but be wary of what they entailed. Neither seemed to have any qualms about violence, and while he and Stiles would stop anyone from trying to hurt their pack and destroy them for it, Peter and Klaus were fond of preemptive actions of such kind, preventing attacks before they could even happen. Of course, that created a lot of bad blood and the likelihood for bloodier confrontations. Unfortunately again, neither Peter of Klaus seemed to mind that at all. Derek shook his head, turning his gaze to meet Stiles'. His relationship with Stiles was another thing that had changed over the last two years. After defeating Mikael and Esther and nearly dying in the process, Derek had recognized Stiles as his mate, but despite having recognized it, things had still been bumpy. Of course, most of that bumpiness was because they were both so stubborn, but it couldn't be help. Derek reached out, rubbing a thumb across one side of Stiles' collarbone. Despite their stubbornness, it hadn't taken either of them long to admit they loved each other, and they'd fought hard over the fact that the confessions didn't mean that they needed absolute protection from everything. As their bond had strengthened, so had Stiles' connection with his magic, and Derek could only feel the warm bubble of pride in his chest when he thought of how well that was going and how much it proved they were going well too.

He realized Stiles was smiling at him when he came over and turned so he could lean against him, his back pressed against Derek's chest, and he realized it was meant to comfort both of them in their nearness. Derek responded by pressing a kiss to Stiles' hair before they both turned their attention on the pair in the doorway.

“So, what's this about witches?”

 


End file.
